Choose: Diana!
by ABelievingHeart
Summary: Summer is here for the witches of Luna Nova, but Akko's discovery of the Horologium Chamber and a strange clock mean it's going to be a long break! Caught in a time loop and forced to repeat the same first day of summer over and over, Akko has a lot of time on her hands, and what better way to spend that time than with Diana Cavendish, the talented and elegant star student?
1. Chapter 1

_Loosely based on the events of Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time_

 _Summer is here for the witches of Luna Nova, but Akko's discovery of the Horologium Chamber and a strange clock mean it's going to be a long break! Caught in a time loop and forced to repeat the same first day of summer over and over, Akko has a lot of time on her hands, and what better way to spend that time than with Diana Cavendish, the talented and elegant star student?_

Chapter 1

 _In the Library, 4:23 PM. Akko and Diana are sitting across a large table, with stacks of books laid out in front of them. Warm beams of light stream in from the wide glass windows. Akko gently hums as she flips through the pages of her book. Diana, though trying her best to focus on her book, seems increasingly irritated with her, and finally speaks up._

"Akko."

"Hmm? What is it, Diana?"

"Why…are you here, exactly?"

"I thought I already told you…I'm here to help you research the Horologium Chamber so we can fix the flow of time and get everything back to normal."

Diana sighs, turning a page of her book.

"Yes, you said that," she starts, "but I'm unsure of how going through your collection of Shiny Chariot trading cards is accomplishing that goal."

Akko pouts. "Hey, researching is difficult, so I'm taking a break!" she says.

"You opened one book and tried reading for five minutes before you gave up."

"It was a very intimidating book with lots of big words!"

Diana chuckles. "No wonder you fared so poorly on these last exams, Akko," she teases.

"Hey, how do you know about that!?" Akko huffs. Diana always knows how to get her worked up, and her grades are a particular weak point.

"Oh, I was just discussing it with Professor Finnelan earlier today. She says it's been many years since a student failed the transformation magic test in such stunning fashion."

"I already apologized to that rabbit family, okay?"

"How about the magic literature test?"

"Aw…who could understand that stuff anyways? The first section was basically unreadable!"

"That section was in Japanese, Akko."

Akko groans, and puts her head down on the table. Diana could be so annoying sometimes! But what was she supposed to say back to the girl with perfect grades and a spotless record?

Feeling dejected, she takes her prized card out of its sleeve and holds it in her hands: an Ultra Rare, Limited Release, Holographic Shiny Chariot in mint condition. It makes her feel a little better, and she smiles. Diana seems to notice, and gently snatches the card from Akko.

"Hey! Give that back!" Akko reaches out to grab the card back, but Diana simply turns away out of reach, leaving Akko cursing her short arms.

Diana briefly surveys the card of Akko's red-haired idol, and then slides it back across the table to the flustered girl.

"You shouldn't waste your time with such silly things," Diana chides as she turns her attention back to the text. "Real witches should be studying and perfecting their talent, not chasing childish fantasies."

Akko takes back her card and brings it close to her face, looking a little hurt.

"I'll chase my childish fantasies if I want to…"

…

…

…

The awkward silence that follows proves to be a bit too much for Diana. The star student purses her lips, and then quietly clears her throat.

"What I meant to say was, why don't you try studying a little harder? Have you considered getting a tutor?" she says.

Akko brushes her oak-colored hair aside sheepishly. "Well…Professor Ursula tries to help me out, but sometimes I feel like I'm too much for her…"

"Professor Ursula can be a bit…absent-minded…at times," Diana says, pausing to choose her words carefully.

Akko nods in agreement.

…

…

…

"Ahem." Diana clears her throat again, the intentionality much clearer than the first time. "Why don't _I_ tutor you, Akko?"

"Oh," Akko says. "That's a little…unexpected." Diana raises an eyebrow at the young witch.

"How so?"

"Well," Akko mumbles, barely audible even in the stillness of the Luna Nova library. "I always thought you hated me or something."

"Hate is quite a strong word," Diana retorts. "Certainly, I often find myself annoyed or put off by your shenanigans and undisciplined attitude, but I would never say I hate you."

Akko coughs softly, suddenly finding the shelf in the corner to be very interesting. Was that supposed to be some kind of compliment? If so, it wasn't very flattering.

"That's very nice of you to offer, Diana," she mutters, still looking away. "But don't you have anything better to do, like researching the Horologium Chamber?"

Diana sighs and shakes her head, closing the thick textbook she had been reading with a dull _thud_.

"I'm afraid there isn't much on the Horologium Chamber at all in this library, and certainly nothing about restoring the correct flow of time," she responds. "It seems that for the time being, we're stuck repeating the first day of summer break."

"Oh."

"Yes…So while we explore the dungeons in the Horologium Chamber for more information, we have plenty of time to spend studying."

Uncharacteristically, Akko pauses to think before she says anything. Studying was hardly the first thing she wanted to do during summer break, but there was only so much to do around the school when time was repeating itself every day…And if Diana was offering, it must mean there was some hope for her academic future at least…

" _Ak-ko."_

The light rise and fall in pitch of Diana's voice brings the witch out of her thoughts. Normally, that was how Diana addressed her when she was annoyed, or lecturing her, or berating her for whatever reason. But this time, it sounds gentler, calmer.

Diana had already stood up, and was walking towards the library exit. "You don't have to decide right now," she says without breaking her stride. "Meet me here tomorrow at 8 AM if you would like to accept my offer."

"8 AM?!" Akko turns to protest, but is only met with the back of Diana's tall and slim figure standing in the library doorway. The late afternoon light seems to outline her perfectly, and Akko can't help but be a little jealous about how pretty she is.

"I won't go easy on you, even if we're in these unusual circumstances together. I promised the headmistress I would watch over the students of Luna Nova this summer break, and I'll most likely have to watch over one particular student especially well. So please, 8 AM tomorrow." Akko has no chance to respond as the library door quietly shuts behind the star student, leaving her alone in the afternoon light of the library.

"Watch over one particular student especially well…" Akko mumbles to herself as she sits down and idly thumbs over her prized Chariot card. She can almost feel where Diana's fingers held it.

"She means me, right?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Akko is understandably unsure about Diana's offer to tutor her: after all, she's supposed to be Akko's rival! But in the end, she decides it's at least worth a try, and she plans to meet the star student in the library at 8 AM. Will this first lesson go well, or will things get messy between the two girls?_

Chapter 2

 _In the Library, 9:10 AM. The lesson has been going on for about an hour, but the situation is not looking so great. In the hallway outside, two girls walking by and idly chatting suddenly hear yelling, followed by a series of loud crashes. Exchanging nervous glances, they quickly speed up and pass by. Behind the tightly-shut library doors…_

"Have you been paying attention any attention to me at all?! A small child could have learned to read basic Dragon script by now, but it seems you can't even do that!"

"Well, excuse me?! Maybe if you were a better teacher I would actually be able to understand something!"

"Don't try to put the blame on me, Akko! I'm doing my best, but clearly you are incapable of absorbing any information beyond trivial facts printed on Chariot trading cards!"

"Geez, I'm sorry, but not everyone can be born as naturally smart and talented as you are, Diana!"

" _E-Excuse me?!_ I'll have you know I have worked and studied hard my entire life, things which you have obviously never even thought about!"

"You jerk!"

"Dunce!"

"Stuck-up!"

"Hare-brained!"

"Aristocrat!"

The girls are standing chest to chest in the center of the library, staring each other down. Diana's height and cold aura of authority would have been intimidating enough to make even the sternest of Luna Nova's professors flinch, but Akko's rebellious and hardheaded attitude burns hot, and the two seem to be evenly matched.

…

…

…

The standoff continues. So much as a speck of dust falling would have been loud enough to hear in the dead silence.

…

…

…

Diana scoffs, and then breaks the stillness of the moment by crossing her arms and turning away.

"This is utterly pointless and childish," she says, her back turned to a still-upset Akko. "Why don't we take a break? I certainly need one: from you."

A thousand counters and insults flash through Akko's mind, but after a moment she calms down and lets out a deep sigh.

"Fine," is all she chooses to say.

The two, still keeping a safe distance from one another, squat to pick up the many books that had been flung on the ground in the heat of the argument. Diana places her stack down on a nearby table and sits with her legs crossed, as stern as ever. Akko places her books down as well, but is already starting to return to her carefree self, softly humming a tune she often hears Lotte humming.

"Oh!" Akko exclaims. "I just remembered something I need to do. I'll be right back!"

Diana ignores her at first, but her interest grows as she sees Akko snatch a book from the bookshelf behind her and dash for the exit.

"You aren't supposed to check out books during break," she says coolly, but without high expectations. Akko simply turns around, sticks her tongue out at the star student, and then hurries out the door.

Moments later, she returns slightly out of breath.

"Hah…Sorry about that," she says as sits down across from Diana, fanning herself with one hand. "Rachel needed a book for a report due after break, but she forgot to check it out before, so she asked me if I could get it for her."

Diana raises an eyebrow skeptically.

"I presume you haven't forgotten about the Grand Clock and the repeating of the first day of summer? If so, you may be even more foolish than I thought, Akko."

Akko pouts, but keeps herself from getting too worked up. "Of course not!" she huffs. "How could I forget about that? In fact, that's why I knew to get her that exact book!" She smiles proudly as she speaks, but this only makes Diana more curious. The Luna Nova ace gets out of her seat and starts pacing around the room slowly, like an exam proctor, her hands clasped neatly behind her back.

"Are you familiar with Philosophy of Magic, the subject taught by Professor Pisces?"

Akko is caught off guard by the sudden change in topic, but decides to go along with it.

"Hmm…" she muses, directing her gaze upwards towards the ceiling as she ponders the question. "I've taken her practice exam a few times, but…I've never done that well. Why do you ask?"

"So you've most likely heard about the scenario with the old woman and the child that both need assistance?"

Akko nods.

"What was your answer to that, Akko?"

"Well, I'd help both of course!"

"I see…Hah…" Diana chuckles. "I'm not sure what other answer I expected, really. Most students would find some reasoning to help one or the other, but it would take someone as stubborn as you to arrive at that conclusion." She stops by the large glass windows on the far side of the library and stares out into the pleasant greenery surrounding Luna Nova, almost seeming to be lost in her own world. Akko is now the curious one, but she stays silent.

"So I take it you've helped Rachel with her book report every day since the flow of time has been broken?"

"Mhmm. That's right."

"Who else have you been helping?"

"Let's see…Professor Ursula always needs some buckets mended…I like to spare some time to help Maria out with her project in Ludovic's class…The goblins need spellstones to complete the laundry, so Lotte and I try to give them some as often as we can…And I'm sure there are some others I'm forgetting, but there are just so many people that need help!" Akko beams as she lists off her good deeds, but Diana doesn't see: she's still staring off into the morning light.

"And you don't mind that no one will remember the next day, and that you'll have to do it all over again?"

Akko scratches her head, pausing for a moment to think.

"Not really. I mean, to you and me and the rest of the seven team members, it may feel like every day is a repeat…but everyone else is just having a normal day, so why shouldn't I try to be as nice and helpful to them as possible?"

Diana has no immediate response. Akko, who has been closely watching the star student, realizes that if she squints hard enough she can see Diana's faint reflection in the library window. If she focuses…she can see that Diana is…smiling?

"That's very noble of you, Akko," Diana says softly. "Unexpectedly mature for someone as immature as yourself, really, even if it's pointless."

"H-Hey…!" Akko protests, albeit weakly.

What was that? Even if it was a little backhanded, that was _definitely_ a compliment. But from Diana…?

"I'll be taking my leave now," Diana states as she turns back towards Akko, her usual serious expression having returned.

"Wait, but…it hasn't even been two hours! And I feel like I haven't learned anything!"

Diana brushes off Akko's comment with a wave of her hand. "We have plenty of time, do we not? Summer break isn't going anywhere for the foreseeable future, so neither will our lessons. I hope to see you here again tomorrow, 8 AM sharp."

"But-"

"I don't want to hear it, _Ak-ko_. In the meanwhile, might I suggest spending some time brushing up on your Dragon script?"

And then Diana, as suddenly as her cold aura had returned, was gone from the room, leaving Akko alone once again. The library is peaceful and calm, just as the ever-blue skies outside, but Akko is not.

"…See you later…Diana…"

She groans and splays out across the table, knocking a few books over in the process, completely and utterly confused. What was up with Diana?! For a second, it almost seemed like she was being… _nice_.

"Pfft, that can't be right. You're going insane, Akko! Just remember all those nasty things she said about you earlier!" But when she tries to recall their fight, she can't even bring herself to get mad at the golden-haired girl. Somehow, it seemed so long ago, and so unimportant.

…This was the same Diana Cavendish, right? The same stuck-up, goodie two-shoes, privileged girl that she could complain about for hours to Lotte and Sucy?

Diana's smile in the window flashes through her head. It's quite nice, she has to admit, especially since she sees it so rarely, if ever.

"I don't even know…" Akko sighs as she flops back in her chair. "And what were those questions about? It sounded sort of like Philosophy of Magic, but…I have a feeling I'm not going to see any of those on the test…And why does Diana insist on tutoring me, even though it isn't going well at all…What is going on?!"

Akko's rambling and the library's tranquil morning atmosphere is interrupted by the noisy growling of her stomach. Easily distracted, she laughs and grins, embarrassed.

"Guess it's time for breakfast!"

As she gets up to leave, Akko sees the books she knocked down earlier but, feeling especially hungry, decides they can wait until later, or even tomorrow. But as she turns away…

" _Ak-ko."_

"Argh! And now I'm hearing things…Definitely a good time to go get breakfast with Jasminka and Amanda!"

Of course, she picks up the books first.


	3. Chapter 3

_Despite a rough start, Akko and Diana have continued their morning lessons in the library, and their relationship seems to have improved a bit. But Akko still can't say that they're friends, and hasn't managed to get far past Diana's distant and cold persona. Will a trip into town help break the ice between the two?_

Chapter 3

 _In the Library, 11:35 AM. A week has 'passed' since the first tutoring session. Akko is absorbed in her work, the heavy and hurried strokes of her quill resonating throughout the otherwise-still room. Across from her, Diana's eyes flit across the page of a dense text, deep in focus. A minute passes before Akko finally puts down her pen and slumps back in her chair, letting out a weary but content sigh._

"Finished!"

Akko turns her paper around and slides it across the table to Diana, who picks it up and reads over it. Her eyes are steely as she checks Akko's work, but her expression eventually softens, and she can't help but let a faint smile run across her face.

"Well done, Akko," Diana says as she hands the paper back. "There might yet be hope for your future as a witch." Akko grins in response: praise from the star student was certainly not something to be taken lightly.

Diana returns to reading and Akko, feeling as though she has earned a break, stands up and stretches her legs. She strolls over to the far side of the library, where warm rays of sunshine hearten her good mood further.

"It's so beautiful today! The skies are blue and the birds are chirping!"

Akko comes back to Diana and puts a hand between her and her book, forcing her to pay attention to the brown-haired witch.

"We should go do something outside!" she says, still glowing with good attitude. Unamused, Diana gingerly grabs Akko's hand with two fingers, as if it were one of Sucy's poisonous mushrooms, and moves it out of the way.

"I would prefer to study inside, thank you."

"I didn't mean studying outside. Let's go to Blytonbury!" she suggests. "We shouldn't waste such a pleasant day, and it'll be fun!" Diana shoots Akko an icy glare that sends shivers down her spine.

"What if one of the team members finds a dungeon key, or there's an emergency that requires our assistance? It would be unwise and irresponsible to leave school grounds for an extended period of time, _Ak-ko_."

"But-"

"Furthermore, the weather is the same every day, so your argument about not wanting to miss out on the agreeable climate is unreasonable. The skies will be blue and the birds will chirp for many days to come, so why not delay gratification until a more suitable time?"

Growing frustrated with the girl's adamant refusal to have fun, Akko takes the book from Diana and slams it shut before putting it back down on the table with a hefty _thump_. Diana raises an eyebrow at the transgression, but says nothing.

"By that logic, why not go today, if we'll have plenty of days in the future to study and explore the dungeons? And I'm sure everyone else will be alright, it's not like anything crazy has happened yet, so why do you have to act so stuck-up?! Can't you just enjoy yourself?!" Akko is huffing by the end of her rant, and she swears she can feel steam coming out of her ears. Diana still has nothing to add, and only gives Akko an intrigued stare, as if goading her on.

"Fine!" Akko exclaims, fed up. "Tch, I'll go by myself, or with Lotte and Sucy…" But as Akko starts to storm off, Diana stands up and pushes her chair in.

"Very well," the star student says as she walks past a dumbfounded Akko, relaxed and composed as ever. "I suppose a brief excursion into town would be acceptable. Without a doubt, there are some useful accessories and items in Blytonbury that can't be obtained from the academy stores. A change in meal would be refreshing as well, seeing as the cafeteria's selection has grown stale, so to speak."

Diana stops in the library doorway and glances back at Akko, who is still trying to wrap her head how the girl can be so cold and rational at one moment but then change her mind on a dime.

"Well, come now, Akko. We don't have long before the 12 o'clock bus leaves, do we?"

* * *

 _At Blytonbury Town Square, 12:37 PM. The English town has a quaint but lively feel to it. Children and adults alike are enjoying the beautiful weather as they relax around the large central fountain. Street vendors selling everything from ice cream to flowers seem to populate every corner, and colorful banners advertising a new clothing line stream behind a low flying prop plane, eliciting oohs and ahhs from the town-goers, Akko included._

"Diana, did you see that?! Amazing!"

Akko continues to gawk at the plane as it slowly flies off, but Diana pays her little attention while she tries to orient a rather large paper map.

"Remember Akko, we're here for errands," she mutters as she rotates the map. "We need to stop for supplies at this store for sure…Here as well…"

…

…

…

The prolonged silence quickly arouses Diana's suspicions. She puts down her map and, sure enough, Akko is nowhere to be seen. The girl sighs, and is about to prepare herself for what could be a long search when a brown-haired head pops out of a nearby storefront and calls to her.

"Diana!" Akko shouts, attracting a few amused stares from passing townspeople. "You've gotta come look at this stuff!"

"Akko, get back over here now!" Diana says, but Akko has already dived back into the store. Shaking her head, she decides she has no choice but to follow.

"I can already tell this is going to be a long day…"

And it was.

* * *

 _In the clothing store…_

"Hmm…" Akko rubs her chin as she considers a nice but painfully expensive necklace. "Too rich for my blood," she sighs as she places it back on the rack. "Find anything you like, Diana?"

"Give me a moment…" she hears Diana respond from behind the changing room curtain. A second later, the golden-haired girl emerges, and Akko's jaw drops.

"W-w-what is that?!"

"It's a bathing suit, and it was on sale. What do you think?"

"Heh?! Uh…well…you know…I think…. "

"You think what, Akko? And your face is quite red, you know. Is it too hot in here?"

"Err…I think…uh…"

"Be honest."

"Well…it's a bit scandalous…i-if I'm being honest…And what's with that ribbon…?"

"…Akko! You should have said something sooner!"

"You didn't even give me a chance to before you came out wearing…that!"

"Don't look! And stop making such a weird face!"

"You asked my opinion, so of course I'm going to look! A-and, I'm not making any weird faces, you're the one who's being weird! Get back in there and change!"

"Y-you're still looking!"

"W-well you're still standing around! Go!"

* * *

 _In the bookstore…_

"Akko? Where are you, Akko?"

Diana wanders through the rows of shelves, her arms full with a tall stack of books. Luckily for her, the store isn't very large, and she eventually finds Akko with her nose buried in a small paperback.

"There you are," she says as she approaches. "I found the research material I was looking for, and also picked up some study books for you to work on when we get back to…Oh my, are you…crying, Akko?"

Akko sniffles. "No, of course I'm not crying!" she chokes. "Someone must be cutting onions, I would never cry over this…dumb manga!"

"…I'll leave you be for a minute, Akko. We'll meet at the front of the store."

The young witch waits until Diana has left, and then proceeds to bawl her eyes out.

"Sniff sniff…At least she didn't see what kind of manga I was reading…She'd probably judge me really hard, or never talk to me again…"

"I would advise not bringing that back to school," a familiar voice from the other side of the store coughs, "unless you wish to be shunned by your peers…Truly shameful, Akko. Even I would not have thought you to be so base."

"Eh?! I-it's only a healthy curious interest, I swear!"

* * *

 _In the Late Wednesday Society Magic Item Café…_

"Iced tea, please," Diana requests politely. "No sugar." The café proprietor nods, and turns to Akko.

"Oh…I'll have the same, but be generous with the sugar!" she grins.

The girls stroll through the store while the man prepares their drinks, surveying a wide variety of magical trinkets, artifacts, and antiques. One item in particular catches Akko's eye: a beautifully decorated porcelain vase resting inside a thick glass case. Unlike most of the other things in the store, it's in perfect condition, as if it had been crafted yesterday.

Akko puts her face up against the glass, trying to get as close a look as possible. Out of the corner of his eye, the proprietor notices, and he gives Akko a nonchalant warning.

"I'd keep your distance if I were you," he mumbles. "Legend has it that that vase will suck the soul out of anyone who gets within reach."

"So pretty…" Akko begins to tap on the glass, oblivious to the owner's warning. The man sighs and gestures to Diana.

"Tell your friend to knock it off," he says, while he empties a sizable bag of sugar into Akko's cup. Diana is apathetic, however.

"The spirit in the vase most likely wouldn't want Akko's soul, anyway. Far too troublesome, in my opinion."

"Hey, that's rude!"

* * *

 _Back at the Town Square, 6:32 PM. The sun is just starting to dip low in the sky, and the area around the fountain has mostly cleared out, with only an elderly couple and a woman with her son in nearby sight. Akko and Diana, both laden with loot from their day out, take a seat on a bench beside the clear fountain water._

"Whew, I'm beat!" Akko exclaims as she plops down. "We sure covered a lot of stores!" She drops her numerous bags beside her, and turns her attention to the newly-bought ice cream cone in her other hand. Diana joins her, but sits on the farther side of the bench. She too has a frosty treat.

"Vanilla?" Akko remarks in-between licks. "So booooring."

"It's a refined taste," Diana replies coolly, "but I wouldn't expect you to appreciate that, seeing as you prefer strawberry."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?! Strawberry is a refined taste!" Akko tries to glare menacingly at Diana, but the golden-haired girl only covers her mouth with one hand modestly and stifles a short laugh.

"Oh my…You've got some refined taste on your cheek, Akko."

"Ah, really?! Where?!"

Akko scrambles to wipe off the smudge with her sleeve, but only ends up missing in a series of clumsy swipes, which makes Diana laugh even more.

"You're quite a messy one, aren't you? Here." Diana produces a small napkin from one of her bags and leans over, wiping away the pink blemish from Akko's face in one graceful movement.

"Aha…Thanks…"

Even with her cold ice cream still in hand, Akko's face suddenly feels hot. Was it normal for friends to do that? Were they even friends…?

"Oh dear," Diana mutters as she looks down at her watch. "I didn't plan on staying out so late…Hannah and Barbara will probably be concerned if I'm not there for dinner."

"You seem pretty tight with them," Akko finds herself saying, the words seeming to summon themselves. "Would you say that they're good friends of yours?"

Diana pauses mid-bite to think about the question.

"In a way, yes," she answers plainly. "But also in a more complicated way, no. I do spend a lot of time with them, and I understand that without my presence or guidance they usually find themselves lost or unsure...But sometimes, it feels more like a chore than anything else." Diana frowns. Her focus diverted elsewhere, she doesn't seem to notice a drop of white cream drip from her cone to the pavement below.

"How would you describe your relationships with Lotte and Sucy, Akko?"

"Oh…Well…I guess sort of like what you said, we hang out a lot, and I definitely care a ton about them. Even when we have our fights, when Lotte hogs the bathroom or when Sucy tries to poison me…or when Sucy tries to make me grow wings, or alter my memory when I'm sleeping, or puts a bad taste in my mouth using magic…it's mostly Sucy actually, but anyways, even when things aren't great, I know deep down that they have my back and that I have theirs." Akko takes a deep breath as she finishes her thought. "That's how I'd put it, at least."

"I see…" Diana purses her lips. Seeing her on the far side of the bench, Akko can't help but again notice how pretty the star student is. The fading sunlight really brings out her golden-yellow hair, and Diana was definitely the closest one could get to a fairy-tale 'fair-skinned maiden' at Luna Nova. But more importantly, Akko sees that she looks…lonely.

The brunette gathers her resolve, and then scoots over closer to Diana.

…

…

…

"What are you doing, Akko?"

"It's called a hug…"

"Yes, I'm well aware of that…Would you kindly let go, now?"

"Oh…my bad. You just looked like you needed a hug, you know?"

"Ahem." Diana clears her throat and slowly stands up, keeping her now-melted ice cream cone an arm's length away from her body. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you. Let's hurry back to the academy soon."

"Ah, yeah, we should probably get back before dark…Oh shoot, my ice cream melted too."

Carefully avoiding the colorful and messy mix of white and pink below, the girls start to head for the bus station back to Luna Nova with their bags in hand, walking side by side.

* * *

 _There's something scribbled in magic ink at the end of the page! It reads: check back on Mondays and Thursdays for regular(ish) updates to the story, and let me know if you're enjoying! Have a nice day!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Akko and Diana have started spending more time together, and their lessons have continued to improve along with their personal connection. But something seems to be bothering the star student. Will a day in close quarters warm things up between the two?_

Chapter 4

 _In the Library, 8:15 AM. Some time has passed since the trip to Blytonbury. Akko, sitting alone in the grand-but-cozy hall, impatiently taps her foot as she glances at the clock, then back at the door. Tick-tock, tick-tock. One more time, she peeks at the clock, and then quickly back at the door. Unsurprisingly, nothing has changed._

"Where is she?!"

Akko stands up and groans loudly, breaking the calm morning silence of the library and causing a pair of doves nesting outside the window to flutter off.

"Diana is never late for anything," the young witch grumbles as she begrudgingly sits back down in her chair, completing a process she has already repeated several times. "What if…what if something happened?"

A thousand theories run through Akko's mind. What if Diana tripped down the stairs on the way over, or slipped on wet tile and fell into a coma? What if she accidentally messed up a potion and turned into a toad? What if she ate a mysterious mushroom for breakfast that transported her to a whole fantasy world of magic mushrooms?!

…

"…I've been listening to Sucy ramble in her sleep too much," Akko sighs. "Besides, I'm sure Diana can take care of herself…But that doesn't explain why she's so late, does it?" A quiet knock on the library door leads Akko from her thoughts back to Luna Nova.

"Diana…!"

She hurries over, expecting her golden-haired tutor to walk in at any moment. To her surprise, however, only a small and sealed tan envelope greets her, slid under the door by some unknown entity. Listening closely, Akko can hear two voices in the hallway on the other side.

"There, just like Diana wanted!"

"Aw, I wanted to read the letter before we gave it over, Barbara!"

Akko immediately recognizes the voices as Hannah and Barbara, friends and roommates of Diana's but rather unfriendly harassers of Akko and her own friends. No stranger to eavesdropping on the conversations of her peers, Akko puts an ear close to the door and focuses.

"Are you kidding? Diana would murder us if she found out we opened it! She made us swear not to!"

"I know, but doesn't that just make you more curious? What do you think it's about? Maybe she's meeting a secret admirer in the library without telling us!"

"Oh, a love affair! Just like in Night Fall!"

Akko covers her mouth to muffle an indignant protest, her cheeks just slightly red. Luckily for her, the girls on the other side of the door don't seem to notice.

"Are you still going on about that? It's pretty lame, you know…"

"Ehehe, never mind…But anyways…don't you think Diana has been acting a little strange?"

"I mean, she was feeling pretty sick this morning, so I don't blame her."

"But even besides that…Diana is being a bit…distant…you know? Like, more than usual."

"Yeah, I know what you're saying…"

A minute of silence passes before Hannah laughs awkwardly, clearly trying to change the topic.

"A-anyways, let's go get some breakfast. I almost feel like someone's listening, and it's giving me the creeps."

"Ah, you're just spooked out by that bogus news report about the ghost. Don't be so gullible, or you'll look like Akko!"

The two girls continue their idle chatter as they walk off, and Akko waits for their footsteps to fade out before letting out a deep sigh and leaning back against the closed library door.

"Grr…those two piss me off," she mumbles, "but it sounds like Diana isn't feeling so well. And speaking of Diana…"

Akko turns her attention to the closed letter below her, and picks it up. The envelope is unmarked, save for a fancy-looking red wax seal reading ' _Cavendish'_ keeping it shut. Akko rolls her eyes: Diana _would_ have her own personal letter seal. Regardless, she eagerly tears into it, her curiosity at an all-time high. Though just a few lines long, the elegant and clean handwriting is unmistakably Diana's, and Akko can almost hear the girl's voice as she reads through it.

 _Akko,_

 _I've instructed Hannah and Barbara to deliver this to you without entering the library, so as to not reveal the existence of the Horologium Chamber to anyone. I am fairly ill at the moment, and will not be able to join you this morning. My apologies, and please continue your studies without me. Do not come looking for me._

 _Diana_

Akko reads over the note a few more times before finally placing it down beside her. She can't shake the ominous feeling that the last line gives her.

"Don't come looking for me…"

* * *

 _10 minutes later…_

 _Knock, knock!_

"Diana! Are you in there?"

No response. Akko looks around unsurely: she rarely ever came to Diana's room. It was on the 1st floor of the East Dormitory, almost the farthest possible room from her 3rd floor residence in the West.

One more time, she bangs on the door.

"Diana, it's me, Akko! I'm just here to make sure you're doing alright!"

This time, her effort is rewarded with a quiet but alarmed response, muted through the wooden door.

"Akko? I thought I told you not to come here! Now leave!"

"Hey, that's a bit uncalled for! Shouldn't you be grateful that someone is checking up on you?"

"Go away, you stubborn girl!"

"Why you…And here I thought we were getting a bit friendlier!"

With a prideful huff, Akko turns to leave, but a loud crash and tumble from the room behind her draws her attention. She turns back worriedly.

"You alright, Diana?" she calls out.

No response.

"This isn't funny, quit messing around…"

Silence.

"Aw, to heck with it, I'm coming in!" Akko twists the doorknob and pushes. Fortunately, the door is unlocked.

"Diana!"

Akko sees that the star student has collapsed next to her desk, with a few books dropped on the ground around her. She's breathing harshly, barely propping herself up with one arm on the bookshelf next to her.

"Akko…"

Diana suddenly looks faint, and Akko hurries over to make sure she doesn't hit her head, catching the tall girl in her arms.

"Don't worry, I got you! Ah geez, you're pretty heavy…" Akko slowly helps Diana over to her bed, one arm around the girl's back. The heat coming from her body is intense.

"That's…that's a tad rude to say, isn't it?"

Akko laughs uncomfortably, but says nothing as she lays Diana down on the white covers. Diana's words definitely lacked their usual icy sting.

"You're burning up…" Akko mutters as she puts the back of her hand to Diana's forehead. "How long have you been like this?"

"I…I'm not sure. At least since I woke up, but maybe longer…I was trying to do some research on it, but…"

"Shh," Akko hushes her. "Don't mind that right now. You need plenty of bed rest. Stay there."

Diana moves to protest, but reconsiders with a tired breath. She lays down on her back and closes her eyes, sweat beading on her neck and face. Finding a small washcloth on a nearby table, Akko sits at the bedside and waits, carefully watching the girl and occasionally wiping around her brow.

Minutes turn to hours, and the morning light turns to afternoon sun which turns to twilight, but it doesn't feel all that long to Akko.

At some point, Diana coughs and turns her head slightly.

"Water…"

Akko nods and hurries off into the hallway before returning with a full glass. Diana only takes small sips, but it seems to revive her a little.

"How long has it been?" she mumbles groggily as she tries to get up.

"No, no, no, you stay put."

Akko gently forces her back down on the bed, with Diana giving only a futile bit of resistance.

"Right now, you need to focus on getting some sleep. It doesn't matter how long it's been; like you always say, we have plenty of time this summer break."

"Heh…Very amusing of you Akko, to quote my own words like that…"

"What can I say? I learned from the best."

The two girls share a small exchange of laughs, before Diana's cough acts up once more.

"Keep drinking," Akko says as she hands Diana the glass. "And let me check your temperature again…" This time she delicately takes the girl's pale cheek into her palm. It's soft, but…

"Still so hot," she shudders. After a few seconds, Diana shifts restlessly.

"Akko…"

"Heh? Oh, my bad." Akko quickly removes her hand, but the warmth seems to linger between her fingers. Embarrassed, she slowly gets up and begins walking around the room, figuring Diana could use a bit of space as well.

The dorm room, one of the larger suites located at the end of the hall on each floor, is neat and tidy, disregarding the books Diana dropped earlier. Across the room from Diana's bed were two smaller beds, where Hannah and Barbara presumably slept. Apparently, Akko notices as she wanders, none of the three residents were fans of interior decorating or even decorating in general, not that school regulations allowed for many changes anyway. But as hard as she looked, Akko couldn't find a trace of personal effects in the room. None, except…

"This photo," Akko says aloud as she takes the wooden frame into her hands, her back turned to Diana. In response, the star student sighs.

"Barbara would most likely prefer it if you didn't touch her possessions, Akko."

"This photo…it's of the three of you."

"Well, we _are_ friends, aren't we? Nothing too unusual about posing for a picture together."

"About that…Is everything going alright between you and Hannah and Barbara? I've…I've heard some things, and…and you told me yourself…"

Diana's response is cold silence, and Akko bites her lip. Maybe she had gone too far?

She goes back to Diana, who won't look her straight in the eye, and sits on the corner of the bed.

"You can talk to me if something's up, you know."

"I-I'll say this once, Akko…You should really mind your own business."

…

…

…

The silence is painful to Akko.

"I'm not very good at that, am I?" she responds after too long. "After all, I'm here with you right now."

"You're too stubborn for your own good...Why did you come, anyway? Even when I specifically told you not to?"

"Because I wanted to make sure you were alright! I was worried about you! And why _did_ you tell me not to come?"

Diana can't redirect the focus this time, and tries to disguise her answer with a cough.

"For the same reason I told Hannah and Barbara to leave…"

"Heh? I'm not sure I understand…"

"Because I don't want you to get sick! Because I-"

Diana cuts herself off, briefly looking flustered.

"I thought that I could manage on my own, and that I wouldn't have to expose you or anyone else to whatever I've caught. That's why I wrote you that note telling you not to come…"

Neither girl feels inclined to continue the conversation, and a sort of calmness sets over the room. Eventually, Diana yawns and rolls over on her side, facing away from Akko.

"…Goodnight, Akko. I don't often tell you this so it may come as a surprise, but…thank you."

"Diana…"

But the girl has already dozed off, no doubt still needing to recover from her illness. Akko considers staying longer to continue watching over her, but eventually decides Diana will probably be fine. Plus, Hannah and Barbara would likely return at any moment. She gingerly pulls a blanket over Diana's shoulders and takes a minute to pick up the scattered books and replace Barbara's picture before she leaves the room, closing the door behind her with a quiet _click_.

"You're welcome," Akko says, now alone in the hallway.


	5. Chapter 5

_Akko and Diana continue to get closer and closer, and a bond seems to be forming between them. But something about the star student keeps nagging at Akko: what's going on with Diana and her friends, and why can't she look Akko in the eye?_

Chapter 5

 _In the Library, 7:30 AM. A sleepy Akko opens the door and enters, yawning as she rubs her eyes. The library is quiet and peaceful, as usual, but Akko is surprised to see a certain golden-haired witch has also already arrived. Diana stands by the window, in the pale morning light._

"You're early today, Akko."

"I was about to say the same to you," Akko says as she joins Diana by the window. "What are you up to?" The girl crosses her arms and breathes out, as if in deep thought.

"It's nice to be alone in the morning, sometimes. To have time to think," she responds. Akko notices that Diana looks tired with dark bags just barely noticeable under her cool blue eyes, but chooses not to comment.

"Ah, I see."

"What about you? Not so much of a morning person, if my memory serves correctly."

Akko laughs sheepishly. "Well…I wanted to surprise you, if I'm being honest," she says. Diana raises an eyebrow.

"I do suppose it's rare enough for you to be on time, let alone ahead of it…"

"Rude," Akko pouts, but Diana has already returned her attention to looking out the window. Once again, the skies are blue and clear. Two doves roost together under the windowsill, pecking playfully at each other's feathers.

"Something bothering you, Diana?"

"What will you do when the flow of time returns to normal, Akko?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Diana turns towards her, her expression difficult to read.

"We are continually getting closer to repairing the Grand Clock and fixing the flow of time. What will you do when the second day of summer break comes?"

"I…Uh…Hmm…"

Akko struggles to answer, and she can feel Diana's eyes probing as she tries to find the right words. Eventually, she sighs.

"Truthfully, I haven't thought about it at all," she says, putting her hands up in resignation. "There's been so much going on with the chamber, and the dungeons, and everything else around the school…It's hard for me to even imagine what things will be like once this day is finally over."

Diana nods, seemingly satisfied with Akko's response, and turns back to the window, her eyes steely as she watches the doves stretch their wings.

"Will you be happy? Relieved, perhaps?"

"Sure, I guess. You've said it yourself, we can't keep living in the same day forever, can we?"

"I do suppose I've said that, yes."

Ever so slightly, Diana repositions herself to face away from Akko, her shoes softly tapping on the wooden floor as she does. Someone observing their conversation would have hardly noticed, but Akko is fully and uncomfortably aware. The atmosphere is tense.

"Sorry to bother you with such frivolous things," the star student mutters. "I shouldn't expect you to have given much thought to the future, when you're usually so easily caught up in the present…"

"Diana…"

 _Knock, knock, knock!_

"Hello? Is anyone in there?"

"Diana? It's us, Hannah and Barbara!"

Akko and Diana quickly turn their heads toward the door, alarmed.

"Go move the bookshelf and hide the chamber," Diana says as she starts towards the library entrance. "Hurry!"

Akko does as she is told without a word, and rushes over to the corner of the room to slide a large shelf back into place, effectively concealing the entrance to the time chamber. When she turns back around, she sees Diana and two other girls, one with auburn hair and one with black, in the library doorway.

"What are you up to?" Hannah says, as she tries to peek over Diana's tall shoulder. "You aren't hiding something from us, aren't you?"

"You left the room really early this morning," Barbara chimes in, "so we were just a bit curious and thought we'd come give you a visit."

"There's nothing going on," Diana says coldly, blocking either from entering. "And I would prefer if you two didn't pry into my personal affairs…"

"Aw, we're sorry, Diana. But you aren't fooling us."

"Yeah, you've been acting weird today. Is everything alright?"

"You barely got any sleep."

"And you skipped breakfast before coming straight to the library."

"What gives?" the two finish in unison. Diana looks frustrated, and Akko decides it's her time to intervene.

"Maybe you guys should mind your own business," she growls as she comes up behind Diana, to her and her friends' surprise.

"Akko!" Diana whispers harshly, but the young witch ignores her as she stares down both Hannah and Barbara.

"Well if it isn't the troublemaker, Akko Kagari," Hannah sneers. "Isn't it a little early to be breaking school rules?"

"I heard Finnelan is making her clean the library over break," Barbara says, a smug smirk on her lips. "That must be fun, having to spend your first day of summer break picking up books. But look on the bright side; maybe you'll actually learn something for once!"

"Grr…Shut it, you stuck-up little witches…"

"Ouch! Good one, Akko!"

"Where'd you hear that one, Sucy? Her mouth is as vile as her potions, that's for sure!"

"What about Lotte? Who knows? There's probably someone mean and nasty behind those cute glasses!"

"…You lost me on that one, Barbara."

"Oh, buzz off! Besides, let's not forget Akko is easily the worst of the bunch."

"That's a fact! After all, she's dumb-"

"Lazy-"

"Can't fly a broom-"

"Or cast a spell-"

"Worst grades in the class-"

"In the history of Luna Nova, probably-"

"And can she even call herself a witch?"

"I know I wouldn't!"

The two girls break into raucous laughter as Akko fumes, her face bright red. Akko is about to swear them out around the world and back, but she suddenly stops in her tracks.

"…Diana?"

The star student, still standing between Akko and her bullies, is visibly shaking. Her hands are clenched into tight fists, and her breathing is intense.

" **That's enough!** "

Everyone else in the room freezes, dead silent.

"I will not tolerate such inane abuse!" Diana yells, drawing fearful glances even from students way down the hall. "Even if you two are my friends, I will not put up with this any longer! It is pointless, and childish, and cruel, and unbecoming of girls who wish to call themselves witches of Luna Nova!"

Hannah and Barbara are speechless, and grasp each other for comfort as the tirade continues.

"Akko is my friend as well, and I would sooner die than sit here and let her continue to endure this absurd derision and mockery! Now, you will apologize to her this instant, or so help me…!"

…

…

…

"Sorry, Akko."

"My bad, Akko."

Fearing for their lives, the two girls give quick bows before removing themselves from the scene, muttering to themselves confusedly as they hurry down the hall and around the corner. Still breathing heavily, Diana puts her head into her hands and rubs her brow.

"Diana…" Akko says, her heart racing. She puts a hand on Diana's shoulder and laughs awkwardly. "That was awesome! I-"

"Please…please get away from me, Akko."

She removes her hand and backs up, her heart in her stomach. Diana takes a step forward and stops in the doorway.

"I- I need a minute to myself. Excuse me." Without as much as a second glance or a goodbye, Diana also leaves the library, leaving Akko alone and uncertain.

…

…

…

"I don't think she's coming back," Akko mumbles to herself as she takes a seat at a nearby table and puts her head down. "What the heck is going on?!"

The events of the last ten minutes all seem to blur together. She'd never seen Diana get so mad about _anything_ , but for her to get that angry at her closest friends? And over _her_? It didn't add up in Akko's mind.

"Nothing makes sense anymore…" she groans.

"Akko? Is that you?" a voice calls from the doorway.

"Professor Ursula?"

The tall woman enters the library and takes a look around before moving over to Akko's table.

"I came to investigate after I heard the yelling," Ursula says gently as she takes a seat. "Frankly, half of the school heard it as well. Is everything alright, Akko?"

"Ah…Well…"

Akko goes on to explain what had happened, how Diana had been acting strangely lately and how she had defended Akko from her own friends. When she's finally finished telling the story, Ursula adjusts her eyeglasses and gives Akko a feeble smile.

"Oh my…This sounds like quite a difficult situation."

"Mhmm. I really don't know what to do, professor."

Ursula stands and comes over to Akko, lightly placing a hand on her head.

"I'm not sure there's anything you can do. You should give Diana some time to sort her feelings out." Ursula frowns. "Often, the ones who care about us the most have the hardest time expressing it."

"Oh…I think I get it. So you're saying the reason for Diana's trouble with Hannah and Barbara is because they aren't communicating well?"

"Well, in a way, yes…But I was really referring to Diana's feelings towards _you_ , Akko."

"Huh? Towards me? I don't understand…"

"In time, you will. Just have faith that she'll come around, and I'm sure everything will be alright."

"Okay…Wow, that's pretty deep, Professor Ursula! Almost like something Chariot herself would say."

"…Oh, would you look at the time? I have to go…mend some broken supplies!"

"Oh, let me come help!"

"No, no, I can handle it just fine! You enjoy your first day of break, Akko, and don't worry yourself too much."

With a smile and a wave, Professor Ursula exits the library, leaving Akko alone yet again. But with her mentor's advice still fresh in her mind, she feels a little better than before. Her expression is soft as she goes back over to the window and stares out into the beautiful scenery. She watches a lone dove groom itself, bathing in the warm morning light.

"Diana's feelings…How does she feel?"

…

"How do _I_ feel?"


	6. Chapter 6

_In the days following the outburst, things are uneasy between the two girls. Diana continues to act like nothing has happened, and Akko isn't too eager to prod her for answers. Maybe a nice dinner and a glass of wine will ease the tension?_

Chapter 6

 _In the Library, 5:00 PM. Today's lesson has come to a close, as uneventful as every other in the last week. Akko has hardly had a conversation with Diana outside of their tutoring since the incident, and it bothers her. But unable to gather the courage required once again, she stays silent as she begins packing up her belongings. Diana remains seated as she does, however, her legs crossed and her hands clasped neatly on the library table._

"Would you stay for another minute, Akko? I…have some things I need to say."

"Oh…Sure. What's up?"

She sits back down in her chair, feeling anxious and unsure of what to do with her hands. Across from her, Diana looks equally uncomfortable.

"About the other day," she says, oddly quiet, "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry you had to see that. It was inappropriate and rude, both to Hannah and Barbara and to you."

"No, no, you don't have to apologize!" Akko protests, waving her hands in front of her as she does. "Not to me, at least…I mean, you stood up for me in front of your friends, so I should honestly be thanking you."

"Well, you're my friend too, if that wasn't clear enough already…So, of course I had to defend you. And Hannah and Barbara can be excessively...harsh, every now and then."

"That's one way to put it, I guess."

Diana laughs, but it seems forced.

"Yes, well, I also apologized to them later that day. They were kind enough to forgive me, but they had a lot of questions." She frowns, suddenly irritated. "Quite troublesome, really."

"What did they ask about?"

"It's not important...And their memories reset with the day, of course, so they no longer have any recollection of those events."

There's an awkward pause as neither girl knows how to continue. Akko notes Diana's deft dodging of her question, but decides not to push her luck. A little bit of conversation was more than enough for her right now.

"I see…" Akko says. "Well, it's good to hear everything's going alright!" She starts to get up. "I think I'll, uh, head out now. See you tomorrow, Diana."

"Wait!"

The doves nesting under the library window scatter as the star student's cry echoes throughout the library. Akko, half sitting and half standing, is frozen in place, and she sees that Diana has shot up out of her seat.

"I…uh…"

The golden-haired girl stumbles over her words, appearing flustered and panicked. Akko, not sure whether to be entertained or unnerved at the rare sight, waits patiently for Diana to continue speaking.

"Are you…Are you doing anything tonight, Akko?"

"Huh? I don't think so…Why?"

Diana mumbles something incoherent.

"Sorry? Could you speak up a bit?"

"…Dinner."

"Dinner?"

"Would you, uh, like to get dinner…?"

"Oh…I _am_ pretty hungry. I'll probably stop by the cafeteria later."

"No, I mean…Err…Would you like to get dinner…with…me?"

"At the cafeteria?"

"No! I'm trying to say- Ah, uh…How about we go into town for dinner, instead?"

"That could be fun…A group trip to Blytonbury! I'll ask if Lotte or Sucy or anyone else wants to come."

" _Ak-ko_! Just…just us. The two of us."

"…"

"…"

"Ah, I, uh, see what you were trying to say now."

"Yes…Just, uh, think of it as my way of apologizing…You're so oblivious sometimes, honestly."

"Rude. Saying that to the girl you're asking out – t-to dinner, I mean!"

"So…is that a yes, Akko?"

"I'm not sure what part of that could have been interpreted as a yes…but…uh…dinner sounds nice. Yeah, dinner…with you…sounds nice."

"Well then," Diana sighs, suddenly looking significantly less stressed. "The reservation is for 7:00. Dress code is formal, so look nice. I'll be outside your room at 6:15; be ready."

"Reservation…Dress code…What the…Diana?!"

The girl hurriedly brushes past an overwhelmed Akko on her way out, avoiding eye contact.

"…See you soon, Akko."

* * *

 _Do yourself a favor, put on some smooth jazz for this next part._

* * *

 _In an unnamed restaurant, 7:05 PM. The lights are dim. The space is relatively small, but every table and bar is packed with people. In the corner, a band plays a jazzy and animated tune, the saxophone's melody seeming to mingle with the loud buzz of gossip and idle conversation that fills the room. Akko and Diana are seated by the wall, a lone but bright candle on the table between them._

"Wow…" Akko muses as she pans her gaze across the lowly-lit yet vibrant room. "I wasn't exactly expecting this. I thought you preferred fancy five-star restaurants or something like that, Diana." Her tall companion looks slightly annoyed with the statement.

"This _is_ a five-star restaurant, for your information," she says, taking a sip of water afterwards. "It just happens to be a jazz club, as well."

"A jazz club, huh? No wonder everyone else here looks older…"

The more she looks, the more Akko notices that most patrons in the restaurant appear to be in their mid-20s or 30s, though a few older ones can be found as well. All are very well dressed. Akko, only 16, starts to feel a little out of place. Even Diana, with her height and mature demeanor, seems to fit right in with the lively and classy atmosphere. And speaking of Diana…

"That's a beautiful dress, Diana. Black really suits you."

Diana, though momentarily taken aback by the sudden compliment, quickly regains her composure and smiles.

"Thank you. I picked it out while we were shopping, some time back. And may I say you look quite nice in white, Akko?"

"Ah, it's just a little thing I've had in the closet for a while now..."

"Maybe too short for someone who calls herself a Luna Nova witch, however…"

"Heh?! W-why didn't you say anything earlier?!"

Diana covers her mouth and politely laughs.

"I was kidding, Akko. You look great, don't worry."

"Hmph," Akko pouts, her cheeks tinged red as she self-consciously pulls her dress down. "I do feel sort of out of place here though," she says, "since you and everyone else seem so mature…" Diana raises an eyebrow.

"Well, it's true you aren't exactly the most mature person I know…Quite the opposite, in fact."

"Rude. I'm just a kid at heart, okay?"

"I never said it was a bad thing to be immature," Diana continues. "I would even say it's…attractive...to some people. To be carefree and unburdened. To act without a worry in the world. Some enjoy seeing that in others, even if they themselves cannot do the same."

Through the dim candlelight, Akko sees a shy smile on Diana's lips. The music has relaxed to something smooth and quiet, and her heartbeat seems to match the soft plucks of the bass, racing and then slowing without warning.

"Ah…Uh…Thanks, Diana."

The two continue with small talk until the waiter arrives with menus and a basket of warm bread.

"Diana…" Akko starts, her face close to her menu. "Where are the prices? It lists the dishes, but no numbers." The blonde gives her an amused expression.

"At these types of high-class establishments, they don't list the prices. You're expected to be able to pay regardless of how much it cost, and shouldn't worry about the tab until it arrives at the end of the meal."

"What? That sounds like rubbish," Akko huffs. "What if I can't afford it?"

"Well, I'll be covering for you tonight, so don't worry about that and just order whatever you desire."

"Huh? That's not fair though!"

"Hush, Akko. People will stare if you're that loud."

"But we should split the bill," Akko says, indignant. "You've been here before, right?"

Diana nods.

"Tell me how much this appetizer costs."

The girl pauses for a moment, but then shrugs her shoulders and leans across the table, whispering the answer into Akko's ear.

"…Err, what I meant to say was, thank you for being so generous with me, Diana. You're a saint…a very wealthy saint."

A few minutes pass before the waiter returns to take their orders. Diana orders a soup, and Akko (with Diana's help) orders a fancy-sounding steak whose name she can't pronounce. Before he leaves, Diana gestures to the waiter and whispers something into the nicely-dressed man's ear. He nods in understanding, and then gives a small bow before leaving.

"What was that about?" Akko asks, eliciting a sly smile from the girl across the table.

"Just a privilege of the family name," she responds enigmatically, a glimmer in her eye. "You'll see soon enough."

They continue passing the time with discussion of various topics, from school to the weather to the news, although most quickly grow stale considering they've both lived the same day dozens of times by now. The piano takes over the melody, playing a fast and flashy solo that matches the buzzing atmosphere.

"Oh, by the way," Akko says, "I somehow forgot to ask you, what will you do on the second day of summer break? Once we've fixed the flow of time? You asked me before, but I never returned the favor." Diana furrows her brow for a few seconds, and then shakes her head, her pearl earrings swaying gently as she does.

"That's the big question, isn't it? I've given it a lot of thought but…I haven't found the answer yet."

"Huh? Is it that complicated? Is there something specific you want to do?"

"That's the problem, I'm afraid," she sighs, her chin resting in her palm. "The things I want to do, and the things that must be done…They don't quite line up."

"You don't have time for both?"

"Not exactly. It's less a matter of time, and more one of…choice."

"Choice?"

"We can't always have our cake and eat it too, so to speak. Sometimes, it's either one or the other."

"Oh…Well maybe you can find a way to have both! Have your cake and eat it too."

"Hah…A typical Akko response. I'm envious of you, truthfully. It would be nice to have that kind of stubborn optimism every once in a while…But no, sadly. Before this day ends, and I mean ends in the literal sense, I will have to make a difficult decision."

Diana's expression is hard to see in the low light, but Akko can tell she looks troubled.

"I'm not sure what this is all about," she says softly, "but if it makes you feel better, I'll support your choice no matter what, so you don't have to doubt yourself!"

"That's a bold claim," Diana chuckles, her eyes low. "Especially if you don't know what the choice is about."

"That doesn't matter to me!" Akko sticks her hand out halfway across the table, pinky finger extended. "I promise I'll support you, even if you make the worst decision of all time, so cheer up a bit!"

"Akko…How childish of you."

But Diana plays along and extends her hand out to meet Akko in the middle. Their pinkies hug, the small flame of the candle below bouncing the joined shadow up and down the wall, and both girls laugh.

As if on cue, the waiter returns moments later with a large serving platter and their dishes. He also has something that takes Akko by surprise, which he places down on the red velvet tablecloth along with two glasses.

"Wine?" Akko says curiously as she watches the man pop the dark bottle open and fill the glasses about three-quarters to the top, fascinated by the swirling red liquid. "Diana, we're underage…"

"Hush," Diana chides. "Bearing the last name Cavendish comes with benefits as well as burdens, and a glass or two wouldn't be the end of the world. You've had some before, no?"

Akko shakes her head.

"Well…I suppose there's a first time for everything." Diana gracefully picks up her glass and holds it. "Cheers, Akko."

"Ah…Cheers!"

 _Clink!_

"…Yuck! It taste awful!"

"Wine is a refined taste, although I suppose your palate isn't developed enough to appreciate it…"

Akko puffs her cheeks.

"We'll see about that," she mumbles as she forces herself to take another sip, and then another, and then another. It seems to get easier as she goes, and before she realizes it the glass is empty.

"That wasn't so bad… _Hiccup_! Oh, excuse me!"

Diana rolls her eyes, half annoyed and half amused.

"You aren't supposed to drink it like juice, Akko," she says. She takes a small sip and lets it sit in her mouth for a moment before swallowing. "You should savor it, and enjoy the complexion and aroma."

"My bad…Can I have another try?"

With an exasperated sigh and a smile, Diana pours her another glass.

"Why don't we start with our main dishes as well?" she says. "I'm quite looking forward to my soup, and your steak smells wonderful."

"Ah, let's dig in!"

About to cut into her (unexpectedly small) steak, Akko is momentarily distracted by Diana, who is tying her hair back before she begins eating, eyes closed. Everything about her, from her long golden locks to her intricate movements, is somehow mesmerizing. When she finishes, she opens her eyes and meets Akko's stare; deep blue meets chestnut brown.

"Akko. You're trying to cut your meat with a butter knife. Do you not have a steak knife?"

"Oh, uh…I must have misplaced it."

"Oh dear," Diana sighs. "Here…"

She reaches across the table with a fork and knife and neatly cuts a few slices, before picking one up with her fork and holding it in front of Akko.

"Open your mouth."

"Wha- No!" Akko protests, bright red with embarrassment. "I'm not going to let you feed me like I'm a little kid or something!" Diana gives her a curious look for a moment, and Akko wonders if she's offended her somehow, but then the girl shrugs and withdraws her utensils.

"Suit yourself," Diana says as she pops the small sliver of meat into her own mouth instead. "Tasty. I certainly recommend using the sauce." She places the knife back down on Akko's plate, and starts to attend to her own dish. It takes a few seconds for Akko's heart rate to calm down before she can do the same.

The two are relatively quiet as they eat, enjoying both their food and the music as the time flies by.

"I'm very satisfied," Diana smiles as she places her spoon in her empty bowl with a soft _clink_. "How was your food, Akko?"

"It was amazing, don't get me wrong…I just wish there was more of it!"

"Quality over quantity. That's the slogan of fine dining."

"That's a sad slogan, if you ask me."

"Well," Diana says, "that's why dessert exists." The next time the waiter passes, Diana signals him over, and she and Akko decide on splitting a slice of chocolate mousse cake with vanilla ice cream. As they finish giving their order, the lights dim even further, so it's almost completely dark everywhere in the room except for onstage. The buzz and chatter quiets, but doesn't completely disappear.

"What's going on?" Akko asks as she turns to Diana.

"The feature performance of the night. Turn around."

She does as told, and watches as the band makes its final preparations before starting, the spotlight on the pianist. He strikes a powerful first chord, but then transitions to a calm and reflective melody, with the bass and percussion joining in shortly. From her angle, Akko can see the pianist's fingers lightly and elegantly dance over the black and white keys. He sways with the music, and Akko can feel the raw emotion.

"Wow…He's amazing," she mumbles. "And this song sounds so familiar…"

"Chopin's _Nocturne_ , opus 9, number 2. Some jazz-style arrangement of it, at least."

"Heh?!" She turns back to Diana, stunned. The blonde simply gives a sly grin, barely noticeable in the dim light, and takes a sip of wine.

"I know something about piano," she says, "but certainly not as much as Andrew."

"Andrew…Hanbridge?"

"Yes, the son of the famous statesman. I believe you two have met, or am I wrong?"

Akko coughs unenthusiastically, and finishes off her second glass. "Yeah, we've met," she grumbles. "On multiple occasions, none of them all too pleasant." Diana tilts her head curiously, her chin resting in her hand.

"Oh? And here I've been, thinking Andrew had eyes for you, and you for him."

"Huh?! Wh-where'd you hear that rubbish?!" Akko crosses her arms and looks away, heated. "Sorry, not interested. Besides, everyone at school says that you two are meant to be or something…By the way, that's not, uh, true, is it?"

"How would you react if I told you it was?"

"Oh…" Akko's heart sinks into her stomach, and she can't explain why. "Uh…Well, I'd be happy for you, of course."

"Not even a bit of jealousy?" Diana teases, her finger idly circling the rim of her glass. Akko's chest tightens, and it's suddenly hard to breathe.

"Me? Jealous? Pshh. I told you, I'm not interested!"

"Not interested in Andrew, you mean?"

"Yes, that's what I mean! Can we please change the topic?!"

"You make this too easy, Akko," Diana laughs, before finishing the last of her wine. "One more glass?"

"We'll probably regret this tomorrow," Akko mutters as she holds her glass out for Diana to fill. The bottle is almost empty after Diana does the same for herself.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not interested in Andrew either," Diana says. "We were childhood friends, and our families were once close, but times have changed." She turns her focus back to the performing pianist, whose mellow mezzo-forte melody rings clearly throughout the restaurant.

"Andrew once had a passion for piano, too, you know."

"I think I remember him mentioning something about that, yeah. What happened?"

Diana gives a small but wistful smile.

"Everything changed once he learned he was to follow in his father's footsteps and become a statesman." She takes a sip, and clears her throat. "He could no longer follow his dream of becoming a pianist, and he started to become harsher…harsher towards others, but especially towards himself."

"I see."

"We don't always get along, but I understand what he is going through…To be given a burden that you alone must carry, that stops you from doing what you truly desire…It is no easy task." Diana frowns, looking melancholy. Akko notices and, after a quick mouthful of wine, audibly slams her glass down on the table.

"Then I'll help you carry your burden, so it won't be so hard!"

Diana laughs and shakes her head. "You've had too much to drink, Akko," she says. "It's more complicated than you think, or know. In a way, you already help me carry my burden, but you also make it heavier."

"Huh? I don't follow."

The girl purses her lips, seeming to regret her words. "Never mind that," she coughs. "Why don't we pay attention to the wonderful performance onstage?"

They put their conversation on hold as the pianist enters a slow and thoughtful solo that has the entire audience by the heartstrings. Akko, through some combination of alcohol and the emotion of the music, can't seem to keep her mouth shut, however.

"Are we friends, Diana?"

"Of course, Akko. Now hush."

"Then is this just dinner, or…?"

"This is in fact dinner. You are correct."

"That's not what I meant! I mean…do you take all of your friends out to dinner like this?"

…

…

…

"…Not exactly, no."

"So…are we just friends…going out…to dinner?"

"…Have you, uh, ever 'gone out to dinner' with anyone else, Akko?"

"Huh? Well, a few days ago Lotte and I grabbed some pizza at- Ow! Why'd you kick me?!"

"…Ahem. You know what I'm really asking."

"…Oh. Uh…No, I haven't ever 'gone out to dinner' with anyone…H-how about you…Diana?"

"This would be the first time I've 'gone out to dinner', I suppose…"

"Ah. So, uh, that would make it both of our first times…going out to dinner."

"Correct…"

"I, uh, never imagined my first time going out to dinner would be with another girl."

"Nor did I…It's a bit exciting, isn't it? Going out to dinner…"

"Yeah…Ah…Err…Would you like to go out to dinner again…sometime…?"

"…I'd like that, Akko."

The piano enters a short but heartfelt refrain of the main melody and then finishes with a quiet chord, which is followed by polite applause from the audience, Diana and Akko included. The lights come up just a bit, and the band resumes with a slow and sweet tune as the saxophone rejoins. Perfectly timed once again, dessert arrives, but neither of the girls are feeling especially hungry, the ice cream slowly melting into a white puddle as they carefully avoid eye contact and stare into opposite corners of the room.

* * *

 _Took a bit of a break, was feeling worn out and wanted to make these next few chapters more thorough. I think I'll slow down to (hopefully) weekly updates because, like I said, the next few chapters are going to be on the heavier side, both in length and content. Thanks for reading, and have an awesome day!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Following their first "not date", Akko and Diana's relationship seems to have changed, and for the better. But when things are getting better, they can also get much worse. Dark clouds loom overhead as the girls head outside on a beautiful afternoon…_

Chapter 7

 _On School Grounds, 12:36 PM. Once again, the weather is grand and the skies are blue. The grassy and green sports field is empty at the moment, except for two certain witches, of course. Diana, with her eyes closed, is being led across the field by Akko, hand-in-hand and with an exasperated look on her face._

"Akko," Diana says. "This is ridiculous. We've been walking for some time now. Can you just tell me where we're going?"

Akko frowns, and then squeezes on the girl's hand as she continues to lead her.

"Don't you dare open your eyes!" she says. "That'll ruin the surprise."

"Our lessons have already been, ahem, quite lacking this last week. Is one more distraction really necessary?"

"Oh please, you enjoyed going to the amusement park as much as I did. And I basically had to drag you out of that sale when we went shopping yesterday."

"…Hmph. Are we almost there, Akko?"

"Hold on, just a few more steps…Alright! Sit here!"

Akko slowly helps Diana down. Once she's seated, Diana seems pleasantly surprised.

"Ah…Am I on some sort of blanket? Where are we?"

"You can open your eyes now," Akko says as she also sits down, just across from her companion. Diana does as told, and she's greeted with the sight of a cheerful Akko holding a picnic basket up, the clear blue sky behind her.

"Surprise!"

Diana blinks, trying to process the scene.

"What is all of this, Akko?"

"Well," Akko says sheepishly, hiding her face behind the basket, "it's lunch! Take a look!"

She opens the basket and starts to empty the contents onto the quilted blanket they're sitting on.

"I made some sandwiches, cut some fruit, prepared salad, and even found us some fruit tarts."

"Akko…" Diana says, stunned as she runs her eyes over the small feast now laid out in front of her. "How…how did you get all of this food?"

Akko coughs and looks away.

"I, uh, might have had some help from Amanda and Jasminka early this morning…sneaking into the kitchen."

"…Akko."

"What? Don't give me that disapproving look!" Akko pouts. "It's not like it won't be back in the pantry tomorrow morning anyways, so why shouldn't we enjoy it today?"

"I thought you at least had some sense of morality. Frankly, I'm a little disappointed in you."

"Geez, Diana…"

"But I suppose the deed has already been done, so enjoying a fruit tart or two wouldn't be terrible idea…"

"Ah, now you're talking! Oh, and here…"

Akko reaches her arm into the basket and pulls out an assortment of small and colorful juice boxes, which earns her an eyebrow raise from Diana.

"It's not exactly, uh, fine wine, but…"

"I'll have orange, please."

Akko can't help but smile as she hands her friend the juice box. After she picks her own (grape, a refined flavor, of course) the two poke straws and toast, laughing as they touch cardboard to cardboard.

"What's the occasion, Akko?" Diana asks after she takes a sip of juice. "You told me earlier that you wanted to celebrate something."

"Oh, right…" Akko scratches at her neck and is forced to avoid meeting Diana's gaze. "Well, there are really two things I wanted to celebrate…The first one is a little embarrassing, though…"

"You can tell me. You know I won't judge you."

"Ah…Well…the truth is…I mean, uh, it _has_ been a week since, uh, you know…we had our first…"

"Date?"

"Geez, when you say it so clearly like that, it's more than just a little embarrassing…"

"You're so innocent, Akko…It's cute."

"Aw…Shut up…"

"And you wanted this to be a sort of one-week anniversary?"

"…Yeah."

"How sentimental of you. Perhaps you've been reading too much of that mang-"

"T-that has nothing to do with this, I swear! I…In my head it seemed sweet, but now I just don't know…"

Diana pauses for a moment, but then slides her hand across the blanket and places it over Akko's, causing the girl's face to go bright red.

"I think it's very sweet," Diana says softly. "Thank you, Akko."

The two meet gazes for a few seconds, their hands still touching, and Akko takes the time to appreciate how Diana's eyes match the aqua-blue shade of sky behind her. Strange. She'd never made the connection before, but she also never looked Diana in the eye all that often…

"Ah…W-why don't we start eating?" Akko mumbles quietly as she pulls her now-sweaty hand back and breaks eye contact. Her head and heart are both racing, but she can't tell which is going faster. Diana chuckles quietly, taking Akko's embarrassment in stride.

"Very well," she says with a smirk. "I also noticed we seem to be alone out here. Is that the result of luck, or good planning?"

"…I might have timed it to overlap with the lunch rush so we'd be alone, yeah."

"Good thinking, Akko," Diana compliments as she eyes one of the fruit tarts. "Privacy is never a bad thing. But that aside, I'm certainly looking forward to eating. Let me just fetch some napkins…"

Reaching inside the basket, the girl's enthusiasm turns into confusion as she unexpectedly pulls out a large and shiny ornamented key. She holds it up in the sunlight, examining it for a few moments, before she slowly turns back to Akko.

"Akko," Diana says, suddenly quiet. "This isn't…?"

"Mhmm, it's a dungeon key. That was the second thing I wanted to celebrate, actually…I was going to bring it up, but it seems you beat me to it!"

While Akko has returned to her usual cheerful self, even glowing with a bit of pride as Diana runs her fingers over the key, Diana's mood seems to have taken the opposite turn.

"Ah…I see…" she says. The girl is focused intently on the hefty piece of metal, and there's a rather long pause before she resumes speaking.

"That would make five large keys, if I'm counting correctly…"

"Yeah! And, like you said before, there should be seven in total. That means we must be close to fixing the flow of time! And you'll never guess where I found…it…?"

"…"

"Diana? Is everything alright?"

The star student's deep-blue eyes are still fixated on the key, but it's more like she's looking _through_ it instead of _at_ it. Akko bites her lip uncertainly as Diana fails to respond to, or even acknowledge, her concern. She sighs.

"And I thought you'd be happy that I did something productive for once…"

"…"

Akko puffs her cheeks, quickly growing irritated with the silent treatment.

"Hello?" she says, waving a hand in front of Diana's face. "Earth to Diana? Anyone home?"

"…I'm suddenly not feeling very well, Akko."

"...Huh?"

Diana grimaces as she gently places the key in Akko's hand, and then she stands up.

"W-wait!" Akko cries out. "Where are you going?! W-what about the picnic?!"

Diana, who has already taken a few steps out onto the grass, stops, but she responds without turning around.

"I'm…I'm sorry. I need to be alone right now."

Akko shoots up onto her feet; this was sounding all too familiar. She's both agitated and confused, and it comes across clearly in her tone.

"Is this about your choice, Diana? Come on, why don't you just tell me what's going on?!"

"…You wouldn't understand, even if I tried to explain."

"Then help me to!"

"There's not enough time."

"What are you talking about?!" Akko raises her voice, her fists clenched. "Why can't you just explain this all to me? Maybe I can help! After all, I promised-"

" **Don't make promises you can't keep, Akko**!"

Akko flinches and jumps back, knocking over her juice box by accident. Diana glances over her shoulder, and Akko briefly catches a glimpse of her face before the girl turns back around.

"Ahem," Diana coughs as she brushes her hair out of her face. "My apologies for raising my voice," she says coldly. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

Akko is left speechless as Diana proceeds to walk off, back towards the school. She wants to run after her, to tell Diana that she's being ridiculous and unreasonable, but she can't. Instead, she watches as her slim figure slowly grows smaller and smaller, until it eventually fades completely out of sight. But Akko saw. She saw Diana's face before she left.

She was crying.

"Diana…"

Akko is alone now, and she sits down on the blanket by herself, surrounded by an empty sea of green. She violently chucks the key into the picnic basket, needing an outlet for her frustration. It doesn't really help.

"Darn," she mutters as she curls up and puts her head between her knees. "And all this food I worked so hard to make…It's just going to go to waste…"

…

…

…

Akko feels a small droplet of water run down her leg.

"Huh? It's not supposed to rain today…And there isn't a cloud in the sky…"

She blinks, and then another raindrop falls. And then another. And then another.

"Sniff…Stupid Diana…Why do you have to make everything so complicated? I just wanted to have a nice picnic, but we can't even do that right…"

She puts her head down even further, her vision wet and blurry as she stares at her feet for what feels like forever.

At some point, she hears footsteps slowly approaching, but she's too depressed to motivate herself to look up. It wouldn't be Diana, and as long as they didn't bother her, Akko didn't give a damn who it was.

The footsteps grow louder and eventually stop close by. Akko senses someone standing over her. She prepares to tell them off, but is taken off-guard by the calm and familiar voice.

"Akko?"

"Sniff…sniff…Professor Ursula? Is that you?"

The woman puts a hand on Akko's shoulder, but the young witch refuses to look up.

"Do you need a hug?" Ursula says softly.

Akko nods her head.

"Come here, Akko. It's alright."

Ursula embraces her, and Akko starts quietly sobbing into her robe.

"Shh, it's okay," Ursula whispers, caressing the back of Akko's head as she continues to cry. "Just let it all out."

A few minutes pass before Akko finally seems to collect herself, pulling away from Ursula as she wipes her eyes on her sleeves. Ursula gives her a warm smile.

"Now, what seems to be the problem, Akko?"

"Sniff…I…I made all of this food…but she just left!"

"Oh dear…It would be quite a shame if it went to waste, especially since it looks like you worked so hard on it. How about I join you for lunch?"

"…Okay."

There's mostly silence after Ursula sits and the two begin eating. Half a sandwich later, Akko seems to be feeling a bit better.

"Professor…" she says, her throat still coarse from sobbing.

"What is it, Akko?"

"I prepared this picnic for my, uh, friend, and I put a lot of time into it. I really did. But she left without eating a single bite, and…and now I feel awful. Why?"

Ursula puts down her juice box and frowns.

"Why did Diana leave, or why do you feel awful?" she asks.

"The second one…But wait, how did you know I was talking about...Diana?"

"Oh, uh…" Ursula averts her gaze and scratches the back of her neck awkwardly. "To tell you the truth, I passed Diana as I was walking out here. She appeared to be rather upset, so I put two and two together and…"

"Ah. That makes sense…"

Just the thought of Diana being upset is enough to send Akko back into a spiral, and her eyes dampen once again.

"Dear me…I'm sorry," Ursula apologizes. "Here…" She grabs some spare napkins and hands them to Akko, who nods gratefully before drying her tears.

"As for your question," Ursula continues, "only you can truly explain why you feel a certain way. But, I can tell you that the closer we are to someone else, the more we care, the more time we spend with them…the easier it is for that someone to hurt us deeply."

"I thought we had gotten closer, especially in the last week or so…but I don't know now."

There's a long but not-unpleasant lull in the conversation. The wind picks up a bit, threatening to blow away the blanket had Akko and Ursula not been sitting on it.

"Give it time," Ursula says calmly, in-between bites of an apple. "The best cure for a lover's quarrel is time."

"Heh?! D-Diana and I are _not_ lovers!"

"It's just an expression," Ursula laughs sheepishly. "No need to get so worked up, Akko!"

"Ah…Sorry…Um…"

Akko uncharacteristically turns timid, and she suddenly finds picking at pieces of fruit with her plastic fork more interesting than actually eating them. After a few seconds, she clear her throat.

"May I ask a question?" she says.

"Of course. Go ahead."

"Just wondering…Have…Have you ever been in…in love, Professor Ursula?"

The woman's face goes redder than her apple, and she coughs unflatteringly before she pushes her glasses up and responds.

"Akko! I mean…Well…That's not important," she says shakily. Ursula wipes a bead of sweat from her forehead and clears her throat. "W-why do you ask?"

"Well…" Akko blushes. "I haven't ever been in love, so how am I supposed to know when I am? N-not that I think I'm in love or anything! I'm just curious…"

"Ah…I do suppose you're at that age where you're more interested in such things…"

"Please don't word it like that, Professor.

"My apologies."

"…How exactly _would_ you know if you were in love…hypothetically?"

"Oh dear…I suppose…h-hypothetically, of course…I would feel…happy…to be around someone I love."

"I see…Is there anything more specific than that?"

"Hmm…I could also describe it like this. If each hello makes my heart race, and every goodbye makes my heart drop, then I know I'm in love." She pauses, her eyes slightly dreamy behind her thin spectacles.

"Every time I embrace them, I would want to hold them as if that day was our last day together, and the next day didn't even exist. That's how I would know I'm in love."

She lets out a deep breath and faintly smiles, as if recalling a distant memory, but then quickly snaps back to reality as she realizes Akko has been closely watching her the entire time.

"Ah! T-this is just based on what I've heard from others, of course!"

"Wow, Professor…" Akko says. "I'm amazed…I never knew you had that sort of emotion in you! You should consider becoming an actor, or a poet, or a performer...Just like Chariot!"

"Ahem." Ursula resumes eating her apple. "I'm quite happy with my position as your teacher, Akko," she says, straight-faced.

"…I'm glad you're my teacher too, actually."

Ursula briefly looks surprised, but then she smiles.

It doesn't take long for the two to finish up lunch. The afternoon sun shines down as Ursula stands and stretches her arms, letting out a content sigh.

"Thank you for the meal, Akko," she says. "It was delicious!"

"Aw, you're too nice, Professor…Oh, I forgot to ask earlier. Why were you out here? I thought most people would be in the cafeteria around this time."

"Ah…I just thought I would visit the Botanical Garden this afternoon." She turns her head slightly, and the sun's glare briefly hides her eyes behind her glasses. "It's quite lovely in the afternoon, but truly a sight to see under the stars."

"Oh, I thought the garden wasn't open at night..."

"…And you'd be right! Now, I should hurry along." She bends down and gives Akko one final pat on the head. "I hope everything works out between you and your lover, Akko."

"S-she's not my lover!"

"Of course not," Ursula teases. "Oh, and come see me tomorrow so we can start our magic training."

"Aha…For sure…"

With a wave goodbye, Ursula heads off towards the glass-domed Botanical Garden. The whole blanket now to herself, Akko lays out, enjoying the warm summer sun. But her head is still clouded with thoughts of Diana as she stares up into the cloudless sky.

"This made Diana leave…" Akko says as she picks up the golden key and twirls it between her fingers. "But it seems more complicated than that. What am I not getting?"

Her thoughts drift back to what Diana had said to her earlier. She can almost see Diana standing with her back turned, and can almost hear the cold sting of her voice.

"She said I wouldn't understand, even if she explained it."

Why wouldn't she understand? What was so hard to explain about this choice or whatever?

"She said there's not enough time."

Enough time before what? Why did Diana have to leave so quickly?

"She said I shouldn't make promises I can't keep."

The longer she lingers on Diana's words, the less clear they get and more frustrated Akko becomes. She groans in exasperation and flings they key off somewhere far into the grass.

"Diana is dumb. What promise wouldn't I be able to keep?! Of course I'd support her in her choice, whatever it's about."

…

…

…

"Am I happy around Diana?" she mumbles idly as she stares up into space. "Does each hello make my heart race? Does every goodbye make my heart drop?"

Diana's cold but teary-eyed face flashes through Akko's mind.

"Today's goodbye certainly did," she sighs.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 _In the Library, 8:10 AM. Cool, crisp silence is the most notable detail of the morning's lesson. Everything about the start to the day was as it should be; the birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and the witches of Luna Nova were eager to enjoy their first day of summer break. But within the cluttered space of the library, something feels...off._

"Pass me that book on magic glyphs, please."

"Here."

"Thank you, Akko."

"No problem."

"How have your practice exams with Professor Pisces been, by the way?"

"I'm slowly improving, I think."

"I see…Good."

"Yep. How about your reading? How's that going?"

"Quite well. I'm currently going over lectures from Aristotle on the nature of free will. Very intriguing material."

"Wow, sounds interesting."

"Indeed. You can visualize the topic as two competing notions, determinism and individual freedom, which have made for centuries of rigorous and contentious deba-"

"Diana."

"Yes, Akko?"

"To put it bluntly, I don't care about this at all."

"Oh, is that right?"

"Yes," Akko sighs as she shuts her book. "It is right. You know what I want to talk about instead."

Diana, not one to play games, frowns and does the same with her own heavy textbook. An eerie stillness sets over the library as their eyes meet.

"You would like to know why I walked away yesterday, correct?"

Akko doesn't respond. She doesn't need to: both she and Diana know very well what she means.

"It's more complicated than you know, Akko," Diana goes on to say, still meeting Akko's gaze with deep-blue.

"I've heard that one before."

"Akko."

"Why won't you just tell me?"

Compelled to stand up by some unknown force, Akko puts her palms on the table and leans towards the star student.

"I thought we were close!" she says. "If there's anyone in the universe you can tell, it's me!"

"What are you expecting to hear?" Diana scoffs. Her legs and arms both crossed, she's seemingly slipped back into the icy persona that Akko hasn't seen in a long while.

"Do you want an emotional confession of all my heart's problems and worries? Do you hold the naïve belief that somehow, as if through magic, you can make them all better? Because you can't."

Akko grits her teeth.

"Maybe I can!" she says. "Maybe I can. But keeping me in the dark won't make things better."

She comes around the table and takes a seat next to Diana, who won't look her in the eye now. When Akko tries to put a hand on her shoulder, the girl is quick to brush it off.

"I'm worried about you," Akko says. "You're not acting like yourself."

Diana rolls her eyes, as if she'd heard the phrase one too many times, and gives Akko a stinging reply.

"I am only myself, so however I act can only reflect who I really am," she says. "I appreciate your concern, Akko, and I apologize for any heartache I may have caused you. However, I will speak no more about this today, or tomorrow, or ever."

"Diana…"

"Please, Akko. Let us not discuss this any longer."

Both girls are feeling rather somber as the conversation slowly burns down to embers. Akko reaches for Diana's hand with her own, and their fingers interlock on top of the table. This time, the girl doesn't resist.

"I won't even begin to say that I know what you're going through," Akko says, coughing awkwardly halfway through her sentence, "but I want you to know that I'm here for you." In response, Diana squeezes her hand tight.

"Ironic."

"Heh? What did you say?"

"What you've just said is ironic. You being here for me, and what I'm going through…for me they're one in the same."

"I don't follow. Is this some sort of metaphysical philosophy of magic stuff?"

Diana chuckles faintly. Her shadow, given her height, is cast over Akko as the morning sun rises in the window behind her.

"In a way, yes," she says, brushing her golden hair aside with her free hand. "You could call it a paradox. You want to be the solution to my problem, yet you _are_ my problem."

Akko puffs her cheeks. She's simultaneously offended and confused.

"Rude…Just how am I your problem?"

To this, Diana has no response.

Minutes pass as minutes typically do, unyielding and without care for those who live in them. Akko knows they'll be back tomorrow but, somehow, it feels like her time with Diana is slipping through her fingers. Even sitting next to her, hand-in-hand, Akko knows the distance between them is greater than ever.

After a bit, Diana clears her throat and squeezes Akko's hand again to get her attention.

"Do you remember that philosophy of magic question we discussed a while back?" she asks. "The one about choosing between the child and the old woman?"

Akko nods.

"And you recall your answer?"

"Of course. I'd save both, duh."

"Yes. I'm not refuting your answer in any way. But what if I told you that it was never your choice to begin with?"

"I would say…I have no idea at all what you mean."

"Imagine it as such," Diana continues, apparently unfazed. "Everything about your genetics, upbringing, experiences, and life in general has shaped you to be the person you are today, correct?"

"I guess so, yeah."

"Following that logic, by the time you first heard the question, you had already become…you. Stubborn to a fault, yet selfless. Someone willing to think outside the bounds for their answer if it meant serving a greater good."

"Uh…sure. If you say so."

"So, in a way, it was unavoidable that you would choose the option of saving both."

"I see…That's what you mean. So it's sort of like fate I picked the answer I did?"

Diana smiles, and nods.

"The idea that all of choices are already made for us, when we have yet to make them for ourselves…Fascinating, no?"

Akko thinks it over for a second, and then pouts.

"I don't really like it," she says. "I would rather have control over my own life, instead of it being all laid out for me."

"That's the thing. You would never realize that you're not in control, because all of the choices are still yours."

"So am I making the choices, or is there some magic force making me make them?"

"Who can say for sure? It's only a theory. Countless magic philosophers have tried to prove or disprove the definitive existence of fate, but without anything to show for it."

"…This is too much for me to wrap my head around, Diana. Why are you bringing this up?"

The girl squeezes Akko's hand one more time, this time to the point that it hurts.

"Because I've recently made my choice," she says, melancholy, her gaze cast out the window and into the green fields surrounding Luna Nova. "And I would rather believe I was meant to make this choice instead of believing I made it on my own."

"…Diana, you're not talking about…?"

"The choice I have yet to tell you about, yes. The mysterious choice that seems to be a never-ending source of conflict between us."

"Oh." Akko swallows, and there's suddenly a tight feeling of anticipation in her chest.

"I…I feel that it would be best if we didn't meet anymore, Akko."

"…Diana?"

"You heard me correctly…You know what I mean."

"No, I don't!"

Akko shoots up out of her seat, still clinging onto Diana's hand because she's afraid that if she lets go she'll never be able to hold it again.

"You can't be serious," she says. At this point, Akko is going into panic mode, and Diana's ashamed expression only fuels the fire.

"It's…it's for the best. It's meant to be this way."

"Why? Why does it have to be like this?"

"…"

"I need an answer, Diana! Give me the truth!"

"The truth? The truth?!"

Diana stands up, turning to confront Akko with an incredulous look on her face. Still, neither girl is willing to let go of the other.

"Do you think we can live like this forever?" she says, her tone sharp. "Did you think that…that this fairytale romance would last forever, that this summer day would never end and we won't have to go back to our normal lives?"

Her words cut deep, but they only serve to make Akko angrier.

"Why can't it last? Oh, I know. Because you won't tell me anything! Your secret choice or whatever…what a bunch of rubbish."

Diana digs her nails into Akko, even drawing a hint of blood.

"You want to know about my choice?" she growls. "Fine. Suit yourself. _You_ are the choice, Akko."

Hearing the truth only causes Akko to tighten her grip on Diana's hand.

"What does that mean?" she snaps back. "That you've always been considering doing this? How long? How long have you had your mind made up?!"

"…A day."

"A day?"

"When you handed me that key yesterday," Diana says, solemn, "it made me realize how little time we have left. I wasn't lying when I said I had to leave because I felt ill. Truly, I felt sick to my stomach."

"Diana…Why can't this last beyond today? We've…we've had our share of fun, right? Why can't it last?"

"…How do you suppose we explain this to our families? Our friends? Can you even begin to imagine the mess of explaining that I'm intimately involved with another student here at Luna Nova?"

"Well…I mean…"

"You hadn't thought that far ahead," Diana scoffs. "Of course not. Your defining characteristic, the one that both attracts and disgusts me, is how short-sighted you are. Always living in the present, without a care for tomorrow."

"Don't act like you haven't been living each day in the moment for the last however many weeks," Akko shoots back. "You enjoyed every moment as much as I did!"

"Yes, I did. But it's time to think about the future, Akko. It's time to stop."

"No, it's not! You know I'll fight this, Diana."

"As expected. But resist as you might, this is _my_ choice. When the sun rises tomorrow, we will go back to being acquaintances. Friends, at most. But whatever may have blossomed between us in each and every today…it will end. It will be no more than a memory."

"…Don't do this, Diana."

"Atsuko Kagari."

"No. Please…"

"I no longer wish to meet with you in the mornings, here in the library. Nor do I wish to associate with you outside of here. This…this will be the last time we meet in private."

Finally, with tears in her eyes, Akko lets go of Diana.

 _Smack!_

A large and aching red mark on her face, Diana is temporarily stunned, but her expression soon shifts to one of reluctant acceptance and shame.

"Goodbye, Akko."

With nothing left to say, Diana shuffles out of the room, trying to maintain her composure but betrayed by the droplets forming under her deep-blue eyes.

Alone, once again and apparently forever more, Akko breaks down into tears and quiet sobs.

* * *

 _Hey friends. I know it's been a while. I've been very busy outside of writing, but this chapter was also really difficult for me to write. I'm not great with drama, and for context I rewrote this chapter twice, with each variation being vastly and markedly different. Anyways, here's to hoping for more regular updates. See you all soon~_


	9. Chapter 9

_The days seem to go by slowly without Diana, and it doesn't help that Akko's friends keep pestering her. But Akko will need her friends (and, unexpectedly, her enemies) to realize that she needs Diana as much as Diana needs her..._

Chapter 9

 _In the Cafetería, 3:25 PM. With the lunch crowd long gone but dinner still yet to be served, only a few students remain sparsely seated around the dining room. Among them, Akko, Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka..._

"You gonna eat that?"

"Huh?"

Akko, with little thought, hands Amanda her untouched slice of vanilla cake and mumbles something before quickly returning to her thoughts, brooding, her arms crossed.

"See, that's how I know something's up," Amanda says before shoving a forkful of fluffy goodness down. "Normally, you would never give up dessert without a fight. Come on, lay it on us, Akko."

"I told you before, I'm fine!" Akko snaps back. "I'm just not hungry right now."

"You said the same thing at lunch yesterday..."

Jasminka nods in agreement, lazily finishing up her second slice of cake before she adds to the conversation.

"Amanda is right," she says. "People don't just change their eating habits overnight, but you've barely had anything at all in the last few days. Is the food not yummy anymore?"

Akko sighs.

"That's not the issue..."

Apparently intrigued, Amanda decides to press on.

"So," she says, scooting her chair closer to the Akko and leaning an ear in. "What is the issue then? I swear, I won't tell a soul!"

Lacking the patience to deal with the girl's shenanigans, Akko puts two hands on Amanda's chair and unceremoniously shoves her away.

"None of your business," she huffs.

Undeterred, Amanda continues her investigation, rubbing her fingers on her chin like a detective on old television.

"Come to think of it, you've been acting pretty strange for a while now. Care to explain?"

Akko scoffs, turning away and refusing to acknowledge her.

"For starters, you were so...happy...for what felt like weeks. Fast-forward to a few days ago, and suddenly you're miserable, sulking all the time and not eating. What's up with that?"

A raspberry is the only response Amanda gets from Akko.

"Is it...that time of the month?"

"No."

"Maybe you're sick? Dying of some rare and incurable disease?"

"Nope."

"The weather has got you down?"

"The weather is the same every day, you know. Now quit it."

Stumped, Amanda crosses her arms, leans back in her chair, and puts her long legs on the table.

"I got nothing," she sighs. "Constanze, what do you think?"

Constanze, who has been sitting next to Jasminka and quietly listening the whole time, thinks for a brief moment before replying.

"..."

"Heh?! T-that's not true! Don't be ridiculous, Constanze...!"

"Ah, you reaction only confirms it!"

Amanda grins, Akko's bright red blush only serving to bolster her confidence as she continues to tease the girl.

"Akko's in love! Akko's in love! Akko's in-"

 _Pinch!_

"Ow!"

* * *

 _The next day, in Akko's Room, 11:20 AM. Warm light floods in through the windows as morning turns to afternoon. Outside, the chatter of students out enjoying their first day of break can be heard. However, it seems to be still too early for one certain witch..._

"Akko..."

"Mmm...five more minutes, Mom."

"Akko...you need to get up."

"I don't wanna get up."

Standing by Akko's bedside, Lotte frowns.

"I'm worried about you," she says softly as she takes a seat on top of the covers. "I can understand if you need a little extra sleep, but this is excessive."

"Geez, I'll get up before noon, okay?"

"I'm not just talking about today. Your sleep schedule has been awful the last few nights, Akko. It's not good for you."

"Sorry, Mom," Akko says, burying herself deeper in her sheets. "I'll try to do better tonight."

Facing the wall and with her back to Lotte, Akko can only grasp the girl's concern through the worried tone of her voice.

"Is something wrong?" Lotte asks, putting a hand on Akko's back to comfort her. In response, Akko shakes not only her head but also her entire body.

Lotte isn't convinced.

"You're not acting like yourself..."

"Well, last I checked, I _am_ myself," Akko scoffs, irritated. "And isn't Sucy still in bed? Why don't you go check on her instead?"

Sucy, also still under her covers, makes some sort of loud hissing noise when she hears Akko's suggestion.

"The last time I tried that," Lotte sighs, "she almost bit me...But that's not the point. This is normal for Sucy, but for you?"

"..."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with Diana, would it?"

"...No."

"Akko..."

"..."

"I noticed that you two were hanging out a lot, meeting in the library every morning...N-not that there's anything wrong with that! But lately, I haven't really seen you with her...Come to think of it, I've barely seen Diana at all..."

"..."

Lotte sighs once more, and finally gives up.

"If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here for you," she says quietly, standing up.

"Okay."

"I'm going to get to the cafeteria early so I can save a table, if you want to join me later."

"Okay."

"What about you, Sucy? Are you coming?"

The girl answers with an unenthusiastic grunt.

"Alright," Lotte says. "I'll see you two later..."

Rather lonesome, the red-haired witch leaves the room and heads for the cafeteria, closing the door softly behind her with a faint _click._ A long silence follows.

Eventually, Akko coughs to get Sucy's attention.

"Hey, Sucy."

"...What?"

"Do you think I'm acting strangely?"

"It's pretty obvious, honestly."

"Oh."

"Maybe you should just tell Lotte whatever is bothering you so she'll leave you alone."

"Ah, it's complicated though...I'm not sure she'll really understand."

"Fair point."

"...Don't you want to know? Aren't you curious?"

"...Have I ever made it seem like I was interested in your personal life?"

"...Fair point."

* * *

 _The next day, in the Astronomy Room, 1:43 PM. High up in one of Luna Nova's tallest towers, Professor Ursula hums softly as she pours Akko a cup of tea. Distracted at first, the girl eventually nods, grateful for the hospitality._

"Thanks, Professor Ursula."

"Oh, it's nothing," the woman blushes, placing the teapot down. "I'm excited you came to me for lessons." She gestures to a pile of defunct brooms, mops, and pans laying on the floor. "We're going to have a lot of fun fixing this equipment!"

"...Yeah."

"Something wrong, Akko? You don't seem as energetic as usual."

"Ah...It's nothing, professor."

Ursula has a moment of suspicion but quickly returns to her normal skittish self.

"Very well, very well," she says. "Now, watch closely. You'll be doing the same spell I'm about to do, but you'll have to drink a magic potion first of course.

"Mhmm," Akko mumbles absentmindedly.

"Pay attention now..."

Ursula picks out a wooden broom with a large crack running down the middle, and aims her wand.

 _Poof!_

After a flash of green and a puff of smoke, the broom emerges looking brand new.

"You try now, Akko," Ursula says, cheerful. She sets aside the repaired broom and finds a sad-looking crooked mop.

"Remember to drink your potion!" she says as she places the mop down in front of her student.

"Huh? Okay, hold on..."

Akko quickly downs the glowing bottle on the table next to her, pulls out her wand, and prepares herself.

"Ahem."

 _ **Boom!**_

When the large plume of dark smoke finally clears, nothing but ashes of the poor mop remain. Akko, covered in black dust, coughs, still holding her wand in the same position pre-explosion. Across from her, Ursula scratches her head sheepishly.

"Oh dear..." she mumbles. "Let me get a dustpan..."

While Ursula cleans up, Akko sits down on the sofa and sighs deeply, feeling dejected.

"Professor Ursula," she says, "I can't focus right now."

"Yes, that much was clear to me from the beginning...Would you care to share your troubles with me?"

Akko bites her lip. She'd already gone through this twice with Ursula. Was one more time really necessary?

"Ah...Well..."

"Akko," Ursula says gently. Putting the dustpan aside, she sits down next to the girl.

"...It's embarrassing," Akko mutters, her eyes aimed straight at the ground.

"It's okay. Take your time. I'm here for you."

Akko uses the silence that follows as an opportunity to gather her thoughts. In the meantime, Ursula removes her glasses and wipes off the thin layer of soot on them with a cloth.

"...I had a really bad fight with a friend," Akko eventually says. "And it's hard for me to talk about in detail, but...all my friends keep asking me about it."

"That makes sense," Ursula replies calmly, replacing her glasses on her nose. "If they're worried about you, it means they're paying attention and looking out for you."

"Yeah, but...it's so annoying! They're always asking questions and bothering me, telling me I'm not acting like myself...I hate it!"

Ursula purses her lips, curious, and then tilts her head.

"Is it your friends that bother you, or the fact that you can't tell them the truth?"

Akko grumbles her answer, turning away with a sour expression.

"...The second one."

Ursula nods and smiles.

"I understand," she says. "More tea?"

"Oh, yes please."

Akko is anxious, and can't seem to stay still while her mentor goes on.

"Keeping secrets from your friends is okay," Ursula says as she pours, her eyes narrow and focused on not spilling. "And everyone is entitled to their privacy, but you know they mean well when they pester you."

"...I know, I know."

"As for this friend you had a disagreement with," Ursula continues, "why don't you try apologizing?"

"Hmph," Akko pouts. "She should be apologizing to me!"

"Now, now, grudges never make things better. Have you talked to her at all since your dispute?"

"...No. She said she doesn't want to talk to me anymore."

"Oh my...What would cause Diana to say such a thing?"

"Who knows...Hey, I never mentioned her name!"

Ursula stifles a laugh.

"It was an educated guess," she says with a smirk. "I couldn't imagine you feuding with anyone _besides_ her, truthfully. You two are always at each other's throats, it seems."

"That's one way to put it, I guess."

"That aside, if Diana is feeling even half as miserable as you are currently, I believe she'd be willing to talk things through."

"Pfft, I doubt she's feeling anything of the sort..."

"Oh? Have you seen her recently?"

"...Not exactly, no."

"Then you shouldn't assume you know how she feels," Ursula says. She puts a hand on Akko's shoulder.

"At least consider it, okay?"

"...Okay, I will. Thanks, Professor Ursula."

"My pleasure! Now, why don't we continue with our lesson?"

"Uh..."

Ursula raises an eyebrow.

"Or did you have something else in mind?"

"Well...Do you want to see my collection of Shiny Chariot trading cards?"

"Ah! Uh...I mean...I suppose a peek wouldn't hurt..."

"Great!" Akko beams, suddenly a little more cheerful. "Here, take a look!"

"Oh my...Do you carry this heavy book with you everywhere?"

"Of course! I almost have every card ever printed! First, here's my special edition Shiny Chariot from the beach collection...Look, isn't she so pretty?"

Ursula subtly adjusts her glasses and smiles as she runs her eyes over Akko's red-haired idol.

"I suppose she is, Akko."

* * *

 _The next day, in the Library, 3:15 PM..._

"Zzz..."

 _Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"Zzz..."

 _Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"Zzz..."

"We know you're in there, Akko! Open up!"

 _Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"...Heh?"

Groggy, Akko stumbles out of her chair, unable to hold in a hefty yawn before she gets to the library door and opens it.

"I'm not buying anything you're selling," she mumbles sleepily as she rubs her eyes. She doesn't recognize the two girls standing in front of her until they start talking.

"Ugh," Hannah sneers. "Were you just sleeping in there?"

"That's sooo like you, Akko," Barbara chimes in.

Akko blinks repeatedly, slowly waking up and coming to terms with the odd situation she now found herself in.

"...What are you two doing here?" she says, confusion and spite equally present in her tone.

The question, though a seemingly rational one that was bound to come up eventually, appears to take the pair off guard.

"Uh..."

"Um..."

Akko gives an uncouth yawn.

"I assume you two didn't just come down here to harass me. How did you know I would be here anyway?"

"...We heard some rumors that you got in trouble with Finnelan and had to clean up the library as punishment," Hannah explains.

"It doesn't look very clean in there though..." Barbara adds, peeking over Akko's shoulder.

Akko rolls her eyes.

"So maybe you two _are_ here to harass me," Akko sighs. "If that's the case, I have some more napping to do. See you later."

"Wait!" they exclaim in unison.

The shared expression on their faces forces Akko to reconsider shutting the door on them. They almost seem...desperate.

"Uh...Diana..."

Hannah stumbles over her words, and Barbara is only a little more coherent.

"She...she hasn't gotten out of bed yet," Barbara says.

"Y-yeah! And...and...and she won't eat the food we bring her!"

"She won't tell us anything!"

"She's really not acting like herself!"

Even when it wasn't directed at her, the phrase made Akko feel frustrated: she'd heard it far too many times in the last few days. But she was starting to understand where they were coming from.

"I see," Akko says. Ursula's words ring in her head. Maybe she _didn't_ know how Diana felt. But still...

"What does this have to do with me though?" she asks. "Why did you come to me?"

"Err..."

"Ah..."

Barbara elbows Hannah harshly in the ribs.

"You said you'd tell her!"

"What?! This was your idea in the first place!"

"No, you brought it up at lunch!"

"Hey, you said-"

"Girls. Just calm down and tell me whatever you need to, please."

Hannah swallows nervously, and then goes on.

"Diana..." she starts, uncomfortably fidgeting as she speaks, "mentioned your name a few times...w-when we tried to talk to her."

Barbara nods vigorously in agreement.

"It was mostly just rambling and nonsense, but...she did say your name, Akko."

"Yeah...so...we're not sure what you have to do with it..."

"But if you'd talk to her for us..."

"That would really be...cool."

Dumbfounded, Akko stands in silence for a moment as she does a mental check of everything that had happened in the last few days up to this point.

She had barely eaten at all.

She struggled to get out of bed every morning. No, every afternoon.

Her friends noticed she wasn't feeling well, so they tried to help her, but she just shrugged them off.

And now, in what seemed like the most ridiculous situation possible, Diana's friends who absolutely _loathed_ Akko were coming to her for help because Diana was apparently going through the exact same thing.

She wasn't eating. She was laying in bed all day. She was keeping her friends in the dark and shutting them out.

Akko takes a look at Hannah and Barbara. They seem anxious, unsettled. Though she wasn't fond of them, she could feel... _sorry_...for them. They were just being the best friends they could be, looking out for Diana.

Just like Lotte, Amanda, and all of the others.

"...Okay."

Hannah and Barbara look surprised to hear Akko's curt response.

"So...so you'll talk to her?"

Akko nods, and lets herself smile a little.

"Be out of the room at 7:00 PM," she says. "Diana and I are going to have a chat."

* * *

 _The finale approaches..._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Uh, hey, Diana…Long time no see, huh? I was wondering if…if you wanted to talk. I- I have something I need to tell you…"

…

…

…

The wall seem unmoved by Akko's performance.

"Argh!" she groans, her hands on her head. "I can't do this!"

* * *

 _In the East Dormitory Hallway, 6:59 PM…_

The witch had been in the hallway outside Diana's room for the last half hour, desperately trying to rehearse what she was going to say and how she was going to say it. So far, her apology wasn't looking great.

"I'm sorry I smacked you in the face…I'm sorry I wasn't understanding about your feelings…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry that I'm so lousy at saying sorry…Ugh…"

Frustrated once more, Akko crosses her arms and digs deep. There was a lot of pressure to get this right. This wasn't just for her.

This was for Hannah and Barbara.

This was for Lotte, and Amanda, and Ursula, and everyone else that had supported her, even Sucy.

Most importantly, this was for Diana.

Akko hangs her head and lets out a deep breath. She feels weak. Her hands won't keep still. She's scared.

"What if I mess this up?" she mutters to herself, putting a hand on the wall to support herself because her legs will barely stand straight. "What if…What if Diana really hates me?"

 _Hate is a strong word._

"Even if she accepts my apology, will things really go back to the way they were before?"

 _Ak -ko! Just…just us. The two of us._

"And if she doesn't accept it…what then?"

 _Don't make promises you can't keep, Akko!_

Akko blinks.

"…Sorry, Diana," she sighs under her breath. "I guess you were right after all; I shouldn't make promises I can't keep."

Her resolve finally gathered, Akko marches down the hall to Diana's door. She hesitates, but she knows she can't back down now. One more deep breath, and then…

 _Knock! Knock! Kno -_

 _Creak!_

The door unexpectedly opens wide and Akko stumbles forward arm-first, causing her to step right into…

"Diana?!"

Chest to chest with the girl, Akko looks up to see Diana's piercing blue eyes, as calm and cool as ever.

"I'm not sure who else you expected to see," Diana says, "unless you were looking for Hannah or Barbara."

Akko jumps back a few feet, eager to get out of the girl's personal space.

"Aha…Uh, hey..."

Her awkward greeting is met with a mixture of sarcasm and exasperation as Diana crosses her arms, giving Akko chills.

"I assume you didn't come here to exchange pleasantries with me, Akko," she says. "Frankly, I'm not sure what you're doing here, after what I said to you."

"…That's why I'm here, actually. I-"

"You are going to leave now. That's what you're going to do."

The harsh words sting, but Akko knows she can't get discouraged. She has to fight fire with fire.

"No!" she shoots back, much to Diana's interest. "I'm not going anywhere! Not until we talk about…this! About _us_!"

"What _us_ , Akko?" Diana retorts. "I thought I made it abundantly clear that there's no longer anything between us." The girl shakes her head and clicks her tongue, annoyed. "Tch, you've always been too stubborn for your own good…Only now it's irritating instead of endearing."

Akko's cheeks flare red for a second, but she refocuses and doubles down.

"Stop changing the subject! I'm not moving from this spot until you agree to talk with me, okay?!"

…

…

…

"May I at least use the restroom first? You've been blocking my way for the last however many minutes…"

"Oh…Err, go ahead."

* * *

Diana's room is almost exactly like Akko remembers it, only now it seems to be a bit messier, particularly on the star student's side. Stray shirts and skirts are scattered around, and an uneaten tray of food next to Diana's unmade bed confirms what Akko already thought she knew.

"Don't mind the clutter," Diana remarks plainly as she catches Akko's wandering eyes. "I've just fallen a bit behind on cleaning in the last few days."

"Doesn't your room clean itself whenever the day resets though?"

Diana pauses for a moment to think about her slipup, but apparently decides to just ignore Akko's inquiry as she takes a seat on top of her covers.

"Well," she says coolly, legs crossed. "Enough chit-chat. Why don't we get started, Akko?"

Akko finds it wiser to take a seat in a nearby chair instead of joining Diana on the bed. With a deep breath and a mental check, she start to talk.

"Listen, Diana, I-"

"I already know what you're going to say, Akko, and I already know what's going to happen."

"You- You do?"

Diana nods her head solemnly.

"You're going to try to apologize and fix our relationship," she says, "and then I'm going to say no, and you'll try even harder to make things right, and then I'll say no again, and no matter how many times I say no, you'll keep trying, even when it's completely pointless."

Akko's temper starts to heat up.

"Well, you're wrong," Akko responds, prideful. "You aren't just going to brush me off like that. At least hear me out!"

"What difference will it make? I've made my choice, Akko, and nothing you say will change that."

"Nothing I say?"

"There isn't a plea in the world that will change my mind."

Akko scowls.

"Fine," she says. "What if I told you that Hannah and Barbara are worried about you? That…That they told me you haven't been eating or sleeping?"

Diana looks surprised for a moment, her deep-blue eyes open wide, but she soon regains her composure and curses quietly under her breath.

"Hannah and Barbara," Diana growls, "don't know when to keep their noses out of other people's business, especially mine."

"That's because they're your friends! They're supposed to do that!"

"And what of it? What does it matter to you if my friends are irrationally concerned for me? A loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping are nothing to sound the alarm for."

"Irrationally concerned? Look at your room, Diana! It's a mess! The Diana I know would never live like this!"

Unimpressed, Diana crosses her arms and retaliates.

"Am I a different person now, now that I can't be your personal play-buddy all day long? Is that what this is about, Akko?"

Akko shakes her head harshly.

"No!" she says. "That's not it! I mean, have you looked in a mirror lately?! You're…"

Having been surprised by Diana earlier, Akko herself had not yet taken the time to actually look over the girl's appearance. The star student was dressed in a simple but wrinkled white nightgown, far removed from her usual clean and pristine uniform, and her typically gorgeous hair was tangled and knotted from too many hours of lying in bed. Despite this, the small dark bags under her eyes suggested a lack of sleep. She almost seemed…vulnerable, like a regular student just having a day under the weather. If it weren't for the forceful and terrifying personality behind the girl, Akko would say that Diana almost looked…cute.

"I'm what?" Diana picks up. "And why should it matter to you how I look?"

"It matters! It matters because-"

"Because Hannah and Barbara asked you to check up on me? Because they were worried about me?"

Diana tosses her disheveled hair back over her shoulders, seemingly at wit's end.

"How about next time," she goes on, "you tell them they can come and check up on me themselves, and they don't need to send a messenger to do so?"

Out of her chair now, Akko fights on.

"Apparently, you've been giving them the same treatment you've been giving me!" she says. "Walling them out like they aren't important to you at all! Like they don't care about you!"

Not one to back down, Diana stands as well.

"What I'm getting from this conversation is that Hannah and Barbara are overly concerned for me," she says through gritted teeth. "That's perfectly well, but there's no need for you to come to my room and parrot those concerns! After all, that's why you're here, right? Because my friends are worried and the do-gooder in you can't bear to see that?"

"…No. You're wrong."

"Well then, say it now, _Ak-ko ._ Just why are you here?!"

"…Because I'm in love with you, Diana."

Silence sets across the room as the weight of Akko's words sinks in.

"I- Akko, you can't- That's not-"

Diana's tired eyes are suddenly filled with both energy and confusion, and Akko decides to seize her opportunity to speak uninterrupted.

"I don't know how it happened," she says quietly. "I couldn't give you a time, or a reason, because I really don't know…But somehow, over the days…I fell in love with you."

Still stunned, Diana is speechless as she listens to Akko's confession.

"I would have never imagined it in my wildest dreams or nightmares," Akko continues, her fingers nervously toying with her skirt as she proceeds. "I mean, how could I? You and I are complete opposites…in school, in magic…even in the way we talk."

"But maybe…maybe it was all the time we spent together. All of those mornings in the library, all of those trips to town…Maybe it was each and every moment we shared in our own little time bubble, away from reality…Maybe that was the reason why."

"Maybe that's why I started to care about you, why I started to look forward to our meetings, why I would feel a bit happier whenever I saw you, why I would feel a bit lonelier whenever you left…"

"It doesn't have anything to do with fancy dinners, or romantic picnics, or any of that stuff…Those weren't what made it special. _You_ , Diana…You're what made it special. And…and…and if I had the choice, however bad of a decision it would be, I would do it all again. I'd live this first day of summer break over and over and over again, forever, if it meant I could stay with you."

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I hit you. I'm so sorry I said all of those awful things. I would do anything to take it all back, but I can't."

"I'm not even sure you ever felt the same way, and I'm sure you don't now…But…I'm sorry I'm in love with you."

"…That's why I'm here."

Without waiting for a response, Akko runs out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

* * *

 _In the Botanical Garden, 11:46 PM. Fully lit by sunlight during the day, the garden is almost like a different dimension at night. Hundreds of stars shine in the dark-blue sky above the glass dome, bathing the Jennifer Memorial Tree and all of the surrounding foliage in pale white light. At the base of the grand tree, one lonely witch sits nestled in the roots, knees together and head down._

Akko hears the door to the garden open, followed by soft padded footsteps, but she doesn't need to look up to know who it is.

"Hey," Diana says faintly as she joins Akko under the tree, now wearing fuzzy slippers to compliment her nightgown.

"Hey."

The two sit in silence for a few minutes, with only the sound of crickets for background.

"How did you get in here?" Diana eventually asks. "I thought the garden would be locked at night."

"I don't know. It wasn't locked when I got here."

"I see."

"How did you find me?"

"I certainly spent a good while looking for you. But it took me much longer to…think…about what you said."

"Yeah. I needed some time to think too. That's why I came here."

"Understandable."

"…Why-"

"Why am I here?"

"You don't have to act like you can read my mind, you know. It's a bit annoying."

"My apologies."

"…Geez, that was pretty embarrassing."

"Was it?"

"I've never made confessed to anyone before…It looks so easy in the manga and movies, but…I just feel really weird now."

"I would think that's normal."

"I guess so."

There's another pause in the conversation. Diana looks up, towards the stars.

"I'm a coward, Akko," she says dejectedly. "I was scared…I _am_ scared…"

"Scared of what? The dark?"

"Not quite…I'm scared of losing something… _someone_ …I never realized I had until now."

Akko tilts her head and looks toward Diana, who is still looking up at the sky.

"It's for the best, right?" she says. "You said it yourself. How can we make this work when we aren't in our own little world where time stands still?"

"You don't believe in a word of what you just said."

"Nope…"

Akko groans softly.

"I thought that I would be able to break my promise…I can't. I won't."

"…"

"It's _your_ choice. Your words."

"I told you that when the second day of summer break comes, I will have to make a decision. That deadline hasn't passed yet."

"But you've already decided."

"I thought I had. I was wrong."

Diana nudges Akko's arm, and then points up at the sky.

"Can you see Ursa Major and Ursa Minor?" she asks.

"Heh," Akko chuckles. "Astronomy isn't my strong suit…Not that any subject is, really. But I'll try."

After a few moments of looking, Akko eventually finds the arrangements of bright stars she's looking for, and she points them out to Diana.

"Good," Diana says, nodding with a smile. "They're beautiful, aren't they?"

"The big bear and the little bear, right?"

"Correct. There's a story behind them, you know."

"I'm not really interested," Akko admits. "I just like looking at them."

Diana shrugs.

"Fair enough."

The two spend a few moments appreciating the constellations before Diana continues to speak.

"I've wanted to tell Hannah and Barbara about…us…for a while now, Akko. I've thought it out so many times, my words and their reactions…"

"Hah, that would be something to see. They'd probably have a meltdown, honestly."

"Yes, I'm well aware…That's why the topic became somewhat of a thorn in my side."

The star student scoots a little closer to Akko.

"If I can't tell even my closest friends, how am I supposed to tell anyone else? Professors, other students, people who have expectations for me…For the longest time, this secret has been a burden that only grows heavier by the day."

Akko smiles faintly, and nods.

"I know what it's like," she says. "I couldn't tell my friends either…I was too embarrassed."

"Maybe we have more in common than you thought, then," Diana responds. She takes Akko's hand in her own and sighs deeply.

"What are we going to do, Akko?"

"We? I thought this was your choice."

Diana frowns.

"I've decided that I can't make this decision by myself," she says. "I…I care about you, Akko. Very much so. More than I'm proud to admit. And I've realized that I've hurt you…I'm ashamed of myself, honestly."

"You shouldn't be! You thought you were doing the right thing."

"The right thing…Sometimes, there is no right answer."

"You don't have to take a sentimental moment and turn it into a philosophy of magic lesson, you know."

"I wasn't attempting to. I'm merely saying that I don't know what to do. I don't know what to choose."

"…Then don't. Not yet, at least."

Diana gives Akko a curious glance.

"We'll have to pick eventually," she says.

"Then we'll pick eventually," Akko replies. "I just don't want to decide now."

The girl rolls her eyes, amused.

"That's characteristically short-sighted of you, Akko," Diana laughs. "But…I don't disagree."

"We still have some time until things are back to the way they should be…We should use the time we have left to enjoy each other's company instead of fighting."

"Yes...Time is valuable. Even when we have all of the time in the world, it can't last forever."

"And when that time runs out…"

"We'll make a choice."

"Together?"

"Together."

Akko can't help but grin. With her free hand, she puts a pinky up.

"Pinky promise?"

Diana gives her own warmhearted smile as she meets Akko's finger with her own.

"Pinky promise. Don't even consider breaking this one."

"Hey, I didn't even break the last one!"

The girls both laugh, and Akko instantly realizes it's been too long since she's felt like this.

Warm.

Fuzzy.

Happy.

"On a different note," Diana suddenly says, "do you remember what happened between us here? On one of the first days we met?"

Akko raises an eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah," she says. "It would be kind of hard to forget that you shot me with a magic blast while I was trying to protect the Jennifer Memorial Tree!"

"It was well-intentioned."

"Good intentions don't always work out. My chest can confirm that!"

Diana smiles, and she lets go of Akko's hand for a moment to brush back her golden hair.

"Can you show me exactly where I hit you?" she asks, her tone coy.

"Huh? Sure, I guess…"

Akko jogs the memory for a second, and then points to a spot on her chest. Diana seems unsatisfied.

"If I recall correctly," Diana starts mischievously, "I believe it was closer to…here."

She puts her hand right over the witch's heart, which is beating far too quickly for Akko's liking.

"Uh…Yeah, maybe that's-"

…

…

…

…

…

Diana pulls back but her hand stays on Akko's heart, which has doubled in tempo.

"I…Uh…"

Akko can't finish her sentence. The warm melting sensation on her lips is too much for her to process.

"Was that…?"

Diana's voice trails off. She can't seem to form a complete thought either.

Akko swallows, and then nods slowly.

"Yeah…That was my first…"

"Mine as well…"

The silence in the garden that follows is awkward yet much-needed, and Diana removes her hand from Akko as the two girls give each other some space.

"It's almost midnight…" Diana remarks after a bit, her blue eyes back to watching the constellations.

"…Oh!"

Making a sudden realization, Akko starts searching through her robe while Diana looks on, confused but curious.

Eventually, she pulls out a large binder book and starts flipping through the pages.

" _Ak-ko_ ," Diana sighs, "you don't have to take a sentimental moment and turn it into a chance to flaunt your Chariot trading card collection, you know."

Akko sticks her tongue out at the star student, but continues going through the pages.

"Found it!" she announces triumphantly as she pulls the card she was looking for out of its sleeve and holds it up for a skeptical Diana to see.

"That's the card you showed me that first day in the library," Diana mutters as she runs her eyes over it. "Your Ultra Rare, Limited Release, Holographic Shiny Chariot…"

"In mint condition, too! But…it's not my card. It's yours."

Diana blinks in disbelief as Akko delicately places the card in her hand.

"Akko…" she says. "I…I can't take this."

"Why not?" Akko pouts.

"This…this means so much more to you than it does to me…I could never-"

"Well," Akko interrupts, "I sure hope it means something to you, considering I gave it to you before our second kiss!"

"Our second…?"

…

…

…

…

…

* * *

 _The last chapter is always the hardest to write._

 _But is the story ever really over?_


	11. Sweet Shorts 1

_Sweet Shorts #1_

* * *

Secrets Never Last

 _In the Horologium Chamber, 7:30 PM. Back from a long day of adventuring in the dungeons, the team takes some time to unwind as they return to the comfy and well-furnished room hidden beneath the library. Jasminka and Constanze sit side-by-side on the couch. Lotte, Sucy, and Diana find spare chairs to occupy, and Amanda stays standing, stretching her legs. Akko plops down on the last free couch cushion._

"Whew, I'm beat!" Akko exclaims as she lets her body sink into her seat. "I think we had a really productive day!"

"You seem awfully cheerful, Akko," Lotte says, curious. "What's up?"

"Aw, it's nothing. Do I really seem happier than usual?"

"Yes, you do," Sucy says. "Now stop it."

"Sorry, sorry," Akko blushes. "I don't really know why, but I'm just in a good mood right now."

She sneaks a sideways glance at Diana. The star student meets her gaze for a second, gives a small smile, and then clears her throat and turns away.

Amanda, who is still on her feet, seems to catch them in the act and gives her own wide grin, a mischievous glimmer in her eye.

"I think I know why you're so upbeat today, Akko," Amanda says as she comes up behind the witch and puts her hands on her shoulders. "Is it because you've got yourself a little girlfriend now?"

"H-huh?!"

Akko can feel her face glowing red and hot, but she tries to keep calm and play it off.

"You're being ridiculous, Amanda," Akko huffs. "I think I've already heard enough of your wild theories, thank you very much." She crosses her arms to get the point across, but as she peeks around the room she notices that some of the other team members won't look her in the eye, Diana included.

"Oh, this is more than just a theory," Amanda says.

"Shut it…! Diana, make her stop talking!"

Diana looks unpleasantly surprised at having her name mentioned.

"L-leave me out of this, Akko!" she says, suddenly much shyer than usual. "This is your problem! I have nothing to do with this!" She turns her back on the girl, and Akko puffs her cheeks in frustration.

"Aw, that's cute…" Amanda grins. "A little lover's quarrel!"

"We're not lovers!"

"We're not lovers!"

In an instant, half of the eyes in the room are focused on Akko, and the other half on Diana.

"I hate that phrase," Akko mumbles as she stuffs her face into the armrest, defeated.

"Ahem," Diana coughs awkwardly. "I suppose it's pointless to continue on with this charade…How much do you all know?"

"Enough," Amanda smiles.

"I mean, I've had my suspicions for a while…" Lotte mutters.

"It's so obvious," Sucy adds.

Embarrassed, Akko's too flustered to say anything. Diana, however, simply sighs, taking the situation in stride.

"What about you, Jasminka?" she asks, turning to the girl. "And you, Constanze?"

"I had no idea!" Jasminka exclaims happily. "I thought that Akko wanted to break into the kitchen and steal so much food because she was hungry…But it must have been for a romantic picnic!"

Akko groans quietly, and Constanze puts a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"…" she says.

"Wow, you've really known for that long, Constanze?" Akko says.

The girl gives a thumbs up.

"Well then," Diana cuts in, a hint of uneasiness in her voice. "What now?"

Amanda scratches at her neck.

"I'm not sure what you mean," she says.

"I think I understand," Akko chimes in, still quiet. "Do you all have any problems with…this? Us being a couple?"

The question seems to take the five other team members off-guard, and they look to each other for clarification, confused. After a few restless moments, Amanda shakes her head and speaks up.

"Don't get me wrong," she says, waving a finger in Akko's face. "I'm going to make all sorts of inappropriate jokes and comments about you two, but I'm all for it."

"Mhmm," Lotte nods. "If you're happy, Akko, then I'm happy too."

"I'll make you two dinner sometime!" Jasminka says.

"I'm fine with anything," Sucy shrugs.

"…" Constanze says with a thumbs up.

Akko is speechless as she takes in the support of all of her friends, suddenly feeling very warm and emotional.

"All of you…Really…?"

"Aw, here come the waterworks…Constanze, hand her some tissues!"

Akko can't help but smile as she wipes the droplets under her eyes. In the heartwarming moment, her friends can't help but smile too. Even Sucy lets herself smirk.

"Sniff…Sniff…Thank you…" Akko chokes. "It really means a lot…"

On the other side of the room, Diana isn't crying, but the expression on her face is one of gratitude and relief.

"I appreciate this, everyone…" she says as she stands and comes over to support Akko, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It means a lot to me as well."

"Sniff…So the next step is to tell Hannah and Barbara, right? It's only fair…"

"…Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, Akko."

* * *

Movie Night

 _In a darkened movie theater in Blytonbury, 6:12 PM. The motion picture is well underway, a romantic drama about two teens in love but forbidden to be together. Akko's eyes are glued to the screen, but Diana's seem to be wandering…_

"Akko," Diana whispers.

"Huh? What's up?"

"I don't think we should be here," Diana responds uncertainly. "This isn't the movie we paid for, and there's hardly anyone in the theater…"

The star student had a point: rows of red velvet seats sat nearly empty in front of the two girls, with only a few couples intermittently scattered around.

In fact, there were _only_ couples in the theater.

"Don't worry about it!" Akko whispers back. "No one's ever gotten in trouble for sneaking into a movie, and who wants to watch a documentary anyway?"

"I did, Akko. I wanted to watch that documentary."

"Aw…It'll be alright, Diana. We can go see it after, okay?"

Diana seems unconvinced.

"I don't like this," she says, her blue eyes uncomfortably shifty as she returns her attention to the movie. "Did you have to choose such a…suggestive…movie?"

"Huh? Suggestive how?"

"Look at the screen, Akko…"

She does, and she suddenly understands why Diana seems so unsettled.

"Oh…Uh…Wow, those two are really kissing…"

" _I need you right now_ ," the girl on screen says, breathing heavily.

" _I'm here right now,"_ the boy responds before pushing the girl onto the bed, passionately kissing her on the neck and lips.

"Akko? Akko? _Ak-ko_!"

"Huh? W-what is it?"

Akko is beyond grateful that the light is dim in the theater. Otherwise, it would have been far too easy for Diana to see the clear red blush on her face. Regardless, the girl doesn't seem to be in a great mood.

"You enjoying this, aren't you?" Diana whispers harshly.

"What?! Of course not! I mean…Oh wow, she's really getting aggressive…"

"Akko," Diana growls, barely audible under the panting and rustling on screen. "Did you know the movie would be like…this…before we walked in?"

"I swear, I didn't! I didn't know it was rated 18 and over!"

Diana mumbles something under her breath, but seems to relent with a heavy sigh.

"Fine," she says. "Let's just stay and continue watching, given that we're already here."

"Okay…Are you sure?"

"…I'm sure."

The next few minutes are incredibly awkward as the romance on screen only continues to grow more intense. Akko, flushed and a little too warm, eventually decides to take a hiatus from watching and peeks around the theater. A few rows ahead of them, she spies a couple not so unlike the two actors on screen: teenaged and…engaged in furious kissing. Embarrassed, she quickly returns her attention to the movie, only to run into a similar dilemma.

"I'm going to, uh, go to the bathroom," Akko coughs quietly as she taps Diana on the shoulder.

There's no response. Akko considers trying again, but then she sees that the girl next to her is strangely… _into_ …the movie, her expression an unflattering mix of shame and curiosity as she continues to watch the actors on screen have at it.

Akko smiles slyly, and she decides she can slip away to the bathroom for a second without Diana noticing. But as she tries to stand, a hand pulls on her sleeve and forces her to sit down again.

"Diana?" she says, suddenly very self-conscious.

"Akko...If you want…"

It isn't the words that make Akko anxious. Instead, it's the unbearably sweet and nervous tone of Diana's voice that sends her heartrate off to the races.

"Y-you want to…?"

Diana has no reply other than tightly grasping Akko's hand in her own.

…

…

…

...

…

 _10 minutes later, on the street outside the theater…_

"Come on…Diana…Talk to me."

"I have nothing to say to you right now."

"So we got kicked out of the theater. So what?"

"So what?"

Diana scoffs and picks up her pace, and Akko struggles to keep up.

"I'm so embarrassed..." Diana mumbles. "What if that man saw us?"

"He was just there to check our IDs…You don't have to worry so much, you know."

"If we hadn't reacted quicker, he surely would have caught us."

"It's not like everyone else in the theater wasn't doing the same thing…" Akko mutters, but Diana isn't having it.

"Never again," the star student says, still walking a few steps ahead.

"Never…?"

"It was far too risky."

"…You didn't hate it, did you?"

"…Hate is a strong word, Akko. I'm merely saying we should try to keep it to the privacy of our rooms from now on…"

* * *

Dinner for Two

 _In a fast food joint in Blytonbury, 6:40 PM. Seated on a pair of barstools in the corner of the restaurant, Akko and Diana are chatting quietly, two plastic trays of food in front of them. Akko seems excited to eat. Diana, less so…_

"…"

Diana unenthusiastically pokes at her burger with a finger.

"Is something wrong?" Akko asks.

"Do people regularly eat this…food, if it can even be called that?"

"For sure! We have all of our food prepared for us at school and that's great, but back home I knew people that ate out at places like this every day!"

"That can't be good for you."

"Heh…It's not good for your body at least, but for your soul…"

Akko's mouth starts watering, and she can't wait to dig into her burger-fries combo.

"Let's eat!"

"…Yes, let's eat."

They each take a bite.

"So good!" Akko moans, her face lighting up in ecstasy. "Diana, what did you- Oh…"

Next to her, Diana seems to be having trouble swallowing, her face contorted in disgust.

"Do you want me to get you some water?" Akko asks, unsure. With effort, Diana slowly nods.

A minutes later, she returns with a plastic cup filled to the brim, and Diana gratefully takes it before quickly downing the entire thing.

"…Akko."

"What's up?"

"That wasn't water."

"Sorry," Akko replies sheepishly. "The water dispenser wasn't working, so I got you some soda instead…Is that okay?"

"…Yes, that's fine. Thank you."

It was very clearly not fine, judging by the unpleasant expression on Diana's face. Akko sighs as she sits back down, her eyes low.

"I'm sorry, Diana," she says, dejected. "I should have just let you choose where to eat…"

To her surprise, Diana replies by leaning her head on Akko's shoulder.

"You don't have to be sorry," she says calmly. "After all, that's how a relationship should work out. It's important that we both make decisions, and that we're both okay with them."

"Really? So…you aren't mad?"

Diana smiles weakly.

"Of course not," she says. "It's not important to me where we go as long as I'm with you."

"Diana…"

...

"…Diana?"

"…I think I'm going to be sick. Please take me to the restroom."

* * *

Wedding Belles

 _In the Library, 10:00 PM. As the school bell tolls on the hour, all seems well at Luna Nova. The sun shines down as summer break comes to a start, and the halls are buzzing with excited students. But two certain witches seem to prefer the quiet, tucked away in the library..._

"Diana?"

"..."

"Dianaaaa."

"..."

"Diana!"

Seated across from Akko, Diana sighs as she puts down her textbook.

"What is it, Akko?" she asks, clearly exasperated. "I'm attempting to study. Shouldn't you be doing the same?"

"Studying is boring," Akko frowns. "We should go do something else!"

Diana returns her own cold frown, sending chills down Akko's back.

"Do you truly believe I'll allow you to slack on your studies," she begins slowly, "simply because we're more than friends now?"

"Something like that, yeah."

Akko's response seems to irk Diana a bit, and the girl shakes her head like a disappointed parent would at their child.

"Unfortunately for you, that isn't the case. If anything, I have more reason now to make sure you succeed academically. Wouldn't it be a shame if you didn't graduate with me and the rest of your friends?"

"That would never happen!" Akko protests, insulted. "I'm sure I'll graduate on time!"

"Your test scores say otherwise, Akko."

"But-"

" _Ak-ko,_ " Diana snaps. "Study now, and we can go do something fun later, okay?"

"...Fine..."

Deflated, Akko picks a book out at random from a nearby stack and starts absentmindedly flipping through the pages.

...

...

...

"Hey, Diana?"

"Akko, for the love of..."

"Have you ever thought about a wedding?"

Diana blinks, momentarily lost.

"If this is your way of asking for my hand in marriage," she sighs after a few seconds, "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to ask again in five or so years."

"You know that's not what I meant!" Akko says. "I meant, have you ever...fantasized, I guess, about your own wedding? Like when you were a little kid?"

"No."

"What?! Everyone has at some point!"

"Everyone besides me," Diana responds coolly. "I never had time for such things. In fact, I would say that the notion is-"

"Childish, yeah, I know, but..."

Akko suddenly has a shine in her eye, and the enthusiasm in her voice is hard to miss.

"I've thought all about what I want my wedding to be like!" she says. "Ever since I was a little, I've been planning it out, and it's only gotten better since then!"

"...Yes, Akko, that's very nice."

...

...

...

"Do you want to hear about-"

Diana closes her book and softly sighs once more.

"Very well," she says with a tired smile. "Presuming you won't stop bothering me with this until I listen to you, go ahead."

Akko's eyes light up like stars.

"Okay!" she says. "So first, I've always wanted my wedding to be at Luna Nova!"

A skeptical eyebrow raise is Diana's initial response, but she stays quiet.

"It has to be in the fall, too!"

"Not the summer?"

"The weather is cooler," Akko says as she shakes her head. "And the leaves are really pretty!"

"I see…Continue, please."

"Ah, where was I…Oh! So the ceremony will be outside in the field, and everyone will be there! Lotte and Sucy will be my bridesmaids, of course, and I'll be sure to invite Professor Ursula, Amanda, Constanze, Jasminka, and everyone else!"

"Oh?"

Diana curiously rests her chin in her palms and smiles.

"What about me?" she asks playfully.

"Hush," Akko responds. "Of course you'll be there…"

There's a brief pause. Akko suddenly finds it hard to look Diana in the eye, and settles on staring into the corner of the library instead.

"Ahem. As I was saying…When the ceremony starts, everyone will stand up, and then they'll see me, walking down the aisle in the most beautiful white dress. My dad will be walking right next to me, his arm around mine…"

…

…

…

"Is that it?" Diana asks after waiting for a bit.

"Yeah, I guess that's it," Akko sighs. "I haven't gotten _all_ of the details worked out exactly, okay?"

Across from Akko, Diana can't help but laugh.

"No, no, I think it all sounds wonderful," she says. "It will be a great wedding, Akko."

"Aha…Thanks Diana."

"Now…would you like to hear about my ideal wedding?"

"But I thought you said-"

"Well, I've now given some thought to it," Diana says. "It can't hurt to imagine, can it?"

"Ah, that's great! So what-"

"My ideal wedding would be here, at Luna Nova, sometime in the mid-fall when the air is crisp and the leaves are all shades of red and orange. October, or November perhaps."

Confused, Akko watches silently as Diana gets up out of her seat and comes around the table.

"It will be a gorgeous day," Diana says, sitting down next to Akko, "and the sun will be shining above as friends and family gather here on grounds to enjoy a truly special moment."

She moves a little closer and gently places Akko's hand in her own.

"The ceremony will start, the music will play, and the bride, wearing a white dress more beautiful than any dress anyone has ever seen before, will walk down the aisle, arm-in-arm with her father, who will be so proud of her. When she finally gets to the altar, she and her loved one will exchange their vows, devote their lives to each other, and then…"

Brushing her golden hair back, Diana leans over and presses her lips to Akko's softly but surely, and they close their eyes for a few blissful moments before the star student slowly pulls away.

"They'll kiss."

It takes a sweaty and dazed Akko a minute to fully return to reality, by which time Diana has returned to her seat across the table, already back to her reading.

"Y-you were just messing with me, right?" Akko stutters. "I mean, you don't really…?"

"Hush, Akko. I'm studying."

* * *

 _I told you the story is never really over, didn't I?_


End file.
